Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed applauded the decision of Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi and other Yemeni parties to attend the talks, for which a venue and date will be announced in the coming days.

He urged the participants in the talks to engage constructively and in good faith, recognising the need for a rapid end to the violence which has brought intolerable levels of suffering to the Yemeni people.

The aim of the upcoming talks is to create a framework for an agreement on implementation mechanisms for UN Security Council resolution 2216, a ceasefire and the restoration of a peaceful political transition.

Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed voiced his gratitude for the support of States in the region and in the international community for their efforts to help Yemenis find a way out of the current conflict.