Hebshi AlShammari

RIYADH: Foreign ministers from Gulf Cooperation Council member states on Thursday backed latest efforts to end the war in Yemen which they described as offering fresh hope of “a roadmap for peace.”

During the 151st session of the council, held in Riyadh, delegates also welcomed moves from the newly formed Yemeni presidential council to start negotiations with the Iran-backed Houthis.

Following his decision to step down as Yemen’s president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi delegated the presidential council to run the government and lead peace talks with the militant group, and the GCC ministers expressed their full support for the new authority.

The session was chaired by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and attended by GCC Secretary-General Dr. Nayef bin Falah Al-Hajraf and followed a consultative meeting on the Yemeni situation held at the headquarters of the GCC’s General Secretariat in Riyadh.

Saudi political analyst, Mubarak Al-Ati, said: “The Gulf states continue to assert that they are the ones who lead the joint Arab action by addressing the various Arab issues, the latest of which is the success of the Gulf system in bringing together the Yemeni parties by organizing consultations between them, which led to a roadmap that will yield wider horizons and a broader peace process for their country.”

Al-Ati told Arab News that the GCC foreign ministers were also optimistic of “a breakthrough” on resolving the ongoing crises in Lebanon.

“They discussed the files of the foreign relations of the Gulf blocs with the US, Russia, and China and with other counterpart blocs of the GCC countries and unifying the Gulf position regarding economic conditions and development aid for brotherly and friendly countries.

“The ministerial council has succeeded in being a platform for the unified and strong influential Gulf voice in many world capitals through the confidence shown by the unified Gulf position toward issues of concern to the GCC states,” Al-Ati said.