Int'l talks in London acknowledge Saudi concerns over Houthi regional threat

LONDON, Nov 28 (KUNA) -- An international meeting on Yemen expressed "full support for Saudi Arabia and its legitimate security concerns" and condemned the threat posed by Houthis to the surrounding region's security.
According to a statement, the London-held talks brought together the foreign ministers of Britain, Boris Johnson, Saudi Arabia, Adel Al-Jubeir, the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Nahyan, Oman, Yousef bin Alawi and the the US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Thomas Shannon.
The officials "strongly condemned" the Houthi missile attack on Riyadh, earlier this month, saying it "deliberately targeted" civilians and "prolonged the conflict," as they called for an "immediate end" to such attacks.
They underlined that the delivery of weapons to the Houthis and their allies violates UN Security Council Resolutions 2216 and 2231 and supported UN investigations into the source of these missiles and appropriate action taken in response.
The talks discussed enhancing inspection mechanisms to prevent the future smuggling of weapons into Yemen, while ensuring the unimpeded movement of goods into the country.
The statement warned that "the conflict has created an urgent humanitarian crisis," adding "there was a shared responsibility among all parties to ensure safe, rapid and unhindered access for goods and for humanitarian personnel throughout Yemen." It also called for a "redoubling of efforts to reach a political solution," which it said, "remains the only route to ending the conflict and addressing security threats to Yemen's neighbours." The officials also agreed that the matter required further talks amid efforts to reach a political settlement. (end) kd.sd