Washington, DC - The United States welcomes the June 6 announcement that the UN-facilitated consultations among Yemeni stakeholders will begin in Geneva on June 14.
We reiterate the call of the Security Council for Yemenis to attend these talks in good faith and without preconditions. We urge Yemenis participating in the talks to work towards a rapid resumption of the Yemeni political transition process in line with the GCC Initiative, National Dialogue Conference outcomes, and related UN Security Council resolutions. We also call upon those participating to prioritize reaching an agreement to end the fighting and begin the withdrawal of forces from key Yemeni cities.
We further condemn the June 6 missile attack on Saudi Arabia, in addition to other recent attacks on Saudi Arabian territory by forces affiliated with the Houthis and former President Saleh. We recognize Saudi Arabia’s right to defend its territory, its borders, and its people. We urge all sides of this conflict to exercise restraint, comply with international humanitarian law, and take all feasible precautions to minimize harm to civilians.