Gulf Cooperation Council: Conditions for peace talks in Yemen are in place

The Secretary-General of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council Yassim Al-Budaiwi confirmed on Tuesday that the current conditions are suitable for peace talks to begin in Yemen with the aim of finding a political solution to the crisis in that country.Jassim Al-Budaiwi called on Yemeni parties to unite and prioritize Yemen's interests.He said: "Current conditions are favorable for peace talks and reaching a political settlement in line with the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative, the outcomes of the Comprehensive National Dialogue Conference and the 2016 UN Security Council resolution.

Al-Budaiwi further referred to the results of the talks between the Yemeni parties hosted by the Gulf Cooperation Council on March 29, 2022, and commended the parties participating in these talks for achieving mechanisms for unity among Yemenis and communication channels between them created by Yemeni parties.

Meanwhile, the Yemeni National Salvation Government negotiating team, led by Mohammed Abdul Salam, met with the UN official in Muscat, the capital of Oman, on Tuesday afternoon.At this meeting, the humanitarian and political measures to achieve a comprehensive settlement and the preparatory steps for the release of prisoners were discussed and examined.

Abdul Qadir al-Murtaza, the head of the National Committee for Prisoner Affairs, announced on March 20, 2023 that an agreement had been reached to carry out the exchange of 706 Yemeni prisoners for 181 prisoners held by the aggressor coalition, including Saudis and Sudanese .This agreement will come into effect 3 weeks after the date of its announcement, it said.