Saudi Arabia and the UAE on Monday (August 26th) renewed a call for peace talks between Yemen's government and southern separatists, AFP reported.
The Yemeni government previously insisted it will only take part in talks after separatist forces withdraw from positions they seized in interim capital Aden earlier this month.
Riyadh and Abu Dhabi both back the government of Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, but the government has openly accused the UAE of backing forces loyal to the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC).
The UAE-backed Security Belt force, dominated by STC loyalists, took control of Aden on August 10th following deadly clashes with government troops that left at least 40 people dead.
In a joint statement Monday, the Saudi and Emirati foreign ministries urged both sides to co-operate with an Arab coalition committee and to attend talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah.
The two countries "call for speedy engagement in the Jeddah dialogue called by Saudi Arabia to address the causes and consequences of developments in some southern provinces”, they said.
Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir also urged the two sides to resolve their differences through dialogue.
He said Saudi Arabia and the UAE would spare no effort to achieve security and stability in southern Yemen.
