April 12th local time, German Federal Foreign Minister Mas said in Berlin after he finished his talks with Griffiths, the visiting United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, that the change of the U.S. government has brought new opportunities for the end of the war in Yemen, and the Biden administration is “very committed” to a peaceful solution to the Yemeni conflict, which has changed the framework conditions of the conflict. It also makes the time ripe for the new “diplomatic strength demonstration”.
It is reported that Biden made it clear in his first foreign policy speech after taking office that the United States will no longer support Saudi Arabia-led multinational coalition military operations in Yemen. The United States Government’s Special Representative for Yemeni Affairs Lundkin also participated in the meeting in Berlin on the same day.
Griffiths thanked the German side for its help to the Yemeni people. He issued a statement on the 12th that the three parties gathered in Berlin because it was clear that the negotiations had reached a critical moment and that the Yemen issue needed the consensus and full support of the United Nations Security Council and the international community more than ever. Griffiths called on all parties to reach agreement on humanitarian assistance to Yemen and to resume peace talks as soon as possible under the coordination of the United Nations to fully end the Yemeni crisis.
Later that day, so-called “5+4” online consultations on Yemen were also held. Nine representatives, including the five permanent members of the Security Council, Germany, Kuwait, Sweden and the European Union, attended the meeting.
The conflict in Yemen has lasted for more than six years. In September 2014, Houthi forces seized the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, and then took control of a large area of Yemen. The multinational coalition intervened in 2015 to support the Yemeni government in combating the Houthis and implementing the blockade, and the fighting has continued to this day. According to the United Nations, the humanitarian crisis in Yemen is still the worst crisis in the world.
