By webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News) U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in France where he is set to meet with the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries to discuss security and regional matters. He will be laying the groundwork for a White House summit with Gulf leaders next week.
Among the topics in Friday’s talks will be Iran’s growing influence across much of the Middle East.
At a news conference in Riyadh Thursday, Kerry and his Saudi counterpart, Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubier, said efforts were under way to forge a five-day cease-fire in Yemen to send in humanitarian aid. They said the cease-fire would be renewable, depending on the conditions on the ground.
“We strongly urge the Houthis and those who back them – whom we suggest use all their influence – not to miss this major opportunity to address the needs of the Yemeni people and find a peaceful way forward in Yemen,” Kerry said.
The Saudi foreign minister said there had been no initial contact with the Houthis, who are believed to receive support from Iran, on whether they would support a cease-fire. He said more details would be announced in the coming days about the proposed pause, which would affect all of Yemen.
“There will be a cease-fire everywhere or a cease-fire nowhere,” the foreign minister said.
He added that he hoped the Houthis would care enough about the Yemeni people to support the plan.
Earlier this week, Yemen’s U.N. ambassador sent a letter to the Security Council urging the international community to “quickly intervene” with ground forces in Yemen.
Asked about the request, Kerry said neither the U.S. nor Saudi Arabia had been talking about sending in ground troops.
Earlier Thursday, Kerry met separately with Saudi King Salman and Yemen’s exiled President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, who fled to Saudi Arabia for his own safety.
Kerry and the Yemeni leader met at the ornate Al-Nasarieh Guest Palace.
After exchanging greetings, Hadi said, “Hopefully, we will see you in Sana’a soon.”
Kerry replied that “there is some work to do.”
President Hadi has denounced what he called a “coup” by Houthi rebels, who occupied Sana’a last year and later placed him under house arrest. In February, Hadi fled to the southern port of Aden and then to Saudi Arabia.
A Saudi-led air coalition has been pounding targets of the Houthis. On Wednesday, Houthi rebels and their allies gained control of another section of the port city of Aden, after battling militiamen loyal to the exiled president. The Houthis back Yemen’s former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh.
U.N. Special Envoy on Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, has traveled to Riyadh for meetings with President Hadi and other Yemeni officials.
The special envoy has been conducting intensive consultations to restore Yemen’s political process.
The United Nations says about 650 civilians have been killed in Yemen’s unrest and thousands have fled from Yemen.
An increasing number of civilians in the country are facing difficulties meeting their basic needs. On Wednesday, Kerry announced the U.S. would be providing another $68 million in humanitarian assistance to help Yemen.
Kerry announced the new aid from Djibouti, a country that has hosted Americans and other foreigners fleeing Yemen’s unrest.
On Thursday, the Saudi foreign minister said his country was sending $274 million in humanitarian aid to help Yemen.
Kerry to Meet with GCC Members, Discuss Yemen, Iran
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