SANAA, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi met on Thursday with the UN envoy for Yemen in Saudi Arabia to discuss the progress of UN peace mediation efforts to end the years-long civil war with the Houthi rebels.
The discussions "focused on next steps to facilitate an agreement on measures to improve living conditions in Yemen, a nationwide ceasefire, and an inclusive intra-Yemeni political process," the envoy's office said in a statement.
"Yemen is going through a critical juncture that still has the potential of bringing Yemenis closer to the just peace," the statement quoted UN Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg as saying.
According to the statement, Grundberg also met with the secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jasem Al Budaiwi, Saudi ambassador to Yemen, Mohamed Al Jaber, and ambassadors from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council during his visit to Riyadh.
Grundberg discussed with them the need for continued Security Council consensus in support of an inclusive political solution in Yemen.
Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of the capital, Sanaa.
The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million, and pushed the country to the brink of starvation. ■
