YEMEN Press Agency

Switzerland to host preliminary negotiations between Yemeni parties at end of August

SANAA, July 27 (YPA) – The UN Envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths has set the end of August to hold preliminary negotiations between the Yemeni parties to agree on the implementation of confidence-building steps that relate to the humanitarian aspects of creating an atmosphere for a comprehensive political solution, a familiar official  in Ansaruallh movement said.

The sources indicated that the UN envoy has put forward some positive ideas to prevent a battle of  Hodeidah, as well as to build confidence that creates the atmosphere to reach a comprehensive political solution to the crisis of Yemen.

All the anti-aggression parties welcomed the initiative, he added.

The source revealed that Martin Griffiths has set the end of August for preliminary negotiations between the Yemeni parties hosted by Switzerland for a week to agree on the implementation of confidence-building steps.

He said the coalition has yet to announce its stance on the issue.

Regarding the ideas presented by the UN Envoy, the Spokesman for Ansarullah, Mohammed Abdulsalam said that the UN envoy “spoke on the basis that there would be a solution around the port of Hodeidah in a way that would end the Coalition’s claims that the port of Hodeidah is being used to smuggling weapons and its revenues in the war effort.

He added that “the revenues from  the port of Hodeidah and all other ports  would be collected under the supervision of the United Nations and put in the Yemeni  central bank of Sana’a in order to pay the staff salaries equally and without any discrimination, since cutting  off the  Yemeni salaries is inhumane and immoral.”

Regarding the confidence-building steps that are supposed to be agreed upon in the initial negotiations at the end of August, Mohammed Abdulsalam said the UN envoy’s proposal was that “all prisoners and detainees from all sides should be released, that the United Nations would lead this humanitarian action.

Abdelsalam explained that what the UN envoy suggested was that “there should be a release of all prisoners and detainees from all sides.

He indicated that the United Nations will lead this humanitarian work and there will be treatments for Sana’a airport and the return of patients and wounded from abroad, as well as opening the Yemeni airspace to travel to and from the capital Sana’a like any other city and without any interference from any party.

E.M