The United Nations Secretary General Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed concluded a two-day visit to Brussels where he met with senior officials from the European Union and the government of Belgium.

The Special Envoy held in-depth discussions on the political, humanitarian and economic situation in Yemen with Ms. Federica MOGHERINI, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission.

At the end of the meeting, Mogherini issued a statement saying that “the European Union will continue to actively, constantly support the efforts of the UN to achieve a sustainable and peaceful solution.” She added that all Yemeni parties have to commit, to sit around the table and try to turn the page since “this opportunity that opens up on the 10th of April and then on the 18th is an opportunity that we cannot miss. It is an opportunity for the renewal of Peace Talks that we can and must ensure that is taken by all.”

During his visit, the Special Envoy briefed the Political and Security Committee (PSC) Ambassadors, representing the 28 EU Member States. He also met with the Secretary-General of the European External Action Service (EEAS), Alain Le Roy, together with Nicholas Westcott, EEAS Managing Director Middle East and North Africa and Bettina Muscheid, the EU Ambassador to Yemen. In the European Commission, the Special Envoy had meetings with Humanitarian Commissioner Christos Stylianides and his Director of Operations, Mr. Jean-Louis de Brouwer. He also met with high-level officials at the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At the end of his visit, the Special Envoy issued a statement commending the work of the European Union “that has exhibited commendable leadership by agreeing to provide, as of tomorrow, an intensive capacity building exercise to the committee members of the De-escalation and Co-ordination Committee which will work to bolster adherence to the Cessation of Hostilities in order to identify any breaches and find the right tools to deal with them, shall they arise.” He also thanked the European officials for their valuable support and much appreciated cooperation. “I am positive that the political will of the Yemeni parties supported by the confluence of the international community will enable a political solution and a way out of the present conflict in Yemen. Once again, I encourage all concerned parties to support our efforts towards a permanent and durable end of the war,” he added.