The European Union has reaffirmed its full support for a "peaceful and orderly transition process" in Yemen ahead of the Friends of Yemen Ministerial meeting scheduled for May 23 in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
In a statement on Monday, the European Council noted that it has been three months since the Yemeni people elected President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi in line with a peace deal brokered by the Arab States. It also assured EU's continued support to the process of comprehensive reform and renewal on which the Yemeni government and Yemen's transitional institutions have now embarked.
"The EU welcomes the efforts of President Hadi to implement the provisions of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative and implementation mechanism. The EU encourages the President to rapidly take forward the national dialogue. It welcomes the appointment of a Liaison Committee and urges him to establish a fully inclusive Preparatory Committee without delay, bringing in representatives from all strands of Yemeni society," the statement said.
The EU called on all relevant Yemeni stakeholders to contribute actively to transition process, and pledged its continued support for the Yemeni government in this crucial endeavor. The Council also noted that the basis for the transitional process was constitutional reforms and lasting reconciliation.
"The EU is deeply concerned by all attempts to derail Yemen's transition. It calls on all parties to abide by the undertakings set out in the GCC initiative and implementation mechanism, in good faith. President Hadi has demonstrated his determination to implement the initiative," the Council said in the statement.
The Council stressed that EU was committed to assist President Hadi by exploring all available options to ensure compliance from any individuals who persist in undermining or opposing the political transition in Yemen.
In this regard, the EU noted that the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2014 on Yemen calls on all parties to commit to a political settlement based on the GCC initiative and implementation mechanism.
The EU response came three months after former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh stepped down in February under a peace initiative mediated by the GCC grouping of Gulf States. Currently, Hadi, Saleh's successor, is struggling to enforce order in the impoverished country on the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula.
Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist militants have established themselves in Yemen's southern and south-eastern regions, taking advantage of the instability triggered by the year-long uprising that eventually ousted Saleh.
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