Jeremy Hunt to chair Yemen Quad meeting on next steps in peace process
The Foreign Secretary, with US Secretary of State Pompeo, will co-host a Quad meeting to discuss the Yemen crisis, in Warsaw later today.
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, with US Secretary of State Pompeo, will co-host a meeting of the Yemen Quad - Foreign Ministers of the UK, UAE, USA and Saudi Arabia - to discuss the Yemen crisis, in Warsaw later today.
Quad ministers will inject fresh international political momentum and support to the Yemen peace process, and discuss measures to alleviate humanitarian suffering.
Today’s Quad meeting was called by the Foreign Secretary and is the latest in a succession of diplomatic initiatives to strengthen international support for peace in Yemen. We can be under no illusions, the crisis is deep; resolving humanitarian suffering, achieving sustainable peace and regional stability are urgent UK priorities. The resolutions proposed by the UK and adopted by the United Nations Security Council in January and December have galvanised international support around a UN-led path out of the crisis. Ministers will today reiterate their full commitment to a comprehensive political solution in Yemen.
On the ground, the careful work of the UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths is supporting the parties to implement commitments made at Stockholm’s landmark peace talks: to build confidence in a political process and to unblock the most urgent obstacles to alleviating human suffering. Quad discussions will focus on how international partners can help parties to implement existing agreements and move towards a second round of peace talks. Seized by the scale of the humanitarian crisis, the Quad will discuss how to accelerate steps to: help stabilise Yemen’s economy; support the government of Yemen’s commitment to pay salaries of civil servants, teachers and health workers; and to keep food and fuel flowing into Yemen.
Ahead of the Quad the Foreign Secretary said:
We now have a shortening window of opportunity to turn the ceasefire into a durable path to peace - and stop the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Real progress has been made to reach a political solution but there are also real issues of trust between the two sides which mean the agreement in Stockholm has not been fully implemented.
So more must be done. Today, I will chair a meeting in Warsaw of my US, UAE and Saudi Arabian counterparts to give UN envoy Martin Griffiths our full backing and undertake to redouble efforts to reach a lasting political resolution.
Yemen’s devastating famine is a man-made economic crisis not a natural disaster. Today we can make clear strides to support the government of Yemen, including on practical steps to improve Yemenis’ lives, such as resuming the payment of government salaries to civil servants. This significant step could improve access to food for millions.
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