Arab League Secretary General Welcomes Riyadh Conference on Southern Yemen Issue

 League of Arab States Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit welcomed the call by President of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Rashad Al-Alimi to convene a comprehensive conference in Riyadh to discuss just solutions to the southern issue. He also expressed his appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s swift response to the legitimate Yemeni government’s request and its readiness to host and sponsor the conference, which will include the participation of southern factions.

 In a statement issued today, Aboul Gheit said that the situation in southern Yemen has well-known historical dimensions and involves legitimate issues that must be addressed at the negotiating table within a comprehensive Yemeni framework. He stressed that attempts to impose a fait accompli do not serve the southern cause but instead cause serious harm by exposing the country to further fragmentation and disintegration.

 The secretary-general reiterated the Arab League’s consistent position, which emphasizes full commitment to Yemen’s unity and the preservation of its territorial integrity, as reflected in its repeated resolutions on the Yemeni crisis.