TEHRAN – Ali Asghar Khaji, a senior adviser to Iran’s foreign minister in special political affairs, and Hans Grundberg, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen have held talks in Tehran.
Khaji and Grundberg discussed different aspects of the Yemeni crisis and the latest developments in the country.
In the meeting, the senior adviser to Iran’s foreign minister noted that the final decision as to the fate of Yemen lies with the Yemeni people.
Khaji added that the first step toward resolving the Yemen crisis through political means is the lifting of the oppressive siege of the country.
He also spoke about the UN’s role in Yemen. He said the current mistrust is the missing link of progress in negotiations aimed at ending the Yemen conflict.
The senior adviser to Iran’s foreign minister also underlined that rebuilding confidence must be accompanied by practical measures, particularly in humanitarian affairs.
Khaji reaffirmed the Islamic Republic of Iran’s support for any fair effort by the UN to resolve the Yemen crisis.
Meanwhile, the UN chief’s special envoy for Yemen reiterated that only the Yemeni people can decide their future.
Grundberg however described the role of regional countries in supporting the peace process in Yemen as highly important.
He added that Iran backing in this regard is a key issue, the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s website reported.
Grundberg also underscored that time is now for assessing different viewpoints regarding the Yemen crisis.
He pointed out that he intends to take account of the concerns of different Yemeni factions in his future plans and to advance his short-term priorities within the framework of his long-term objectives.