Dialogue failure could be problematic for Yemen

Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi described the Gulf initiative as “an important event for all Yemenis in their contemporary history,” adding that “no-one” could “hinder” the realisation of the terms of the agreement as it is “safeguarded” by its “implementation mechanism and Security Council resolutions.” In an interview with a Saudi newspaper, al-Qirbi said that political forces had inserted “complex internal dossiers” in the Gulf Initiative and its Implementation Mechanism and the concomitant comprehensive national dialogue conference. While he said this tactic should make these issues easy to resolve by any political regime, he expressed fear that a failure of the anticipated national dialogue would “lead Yemen to the unknown.” The Yemeni top diplomat directed a strong message to Iran, warning it against “interfering” in Yemeni affairs. Iranian actions within Yemen, he said, are now in the hands of Yemeni courts and relevant authorities.