UAE president, GCC chief meet on Yemen's crisis
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United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with the visiting chief of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Monday on the Yemeni crisis, the state news agency WAM reported.
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A Yemeni boy holds work tools on Sunday during a demonstration by anti-government protestors demanding the resignation of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in Sanaa, Yemen. [Muhammed Muheisen/China Daily] |
During the meeting in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa was briefed by GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani "on efforts being made by the GCC to find a solution for the current crisis in Yemen," the report said.
The UAE president exchanged views with al-Zayani on the GCC's role in a solution to the Yemeni crisis "in light of the phone call Sheikh Khalifa had received from Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh," according to WAM.
Al-Zayani also briefed Sheikh Khalifa on the outcome of Sunday's GCC ministerial meeting in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, as well as his upcoming visit to Yemen.
In a statement issued following the extraordinary meeting of the GCC foreign ministers, the regional bloc said al-Zayani will soon visit Sanaa to resume efforts to settle the power-transition standoff after Saleh refused to sign a deal. The statement did not set the date of al-Zayani's visit.
On Saturday, al-Zayani was in Sanaa for an official visit to get Saleh's signature of the deal, but the latter refused to sign the deal personally and said he will sign it after representatives of his ruling party inks it with the opposition in Riyadh's Sunday meeting.
After Saleh's refusal, GCC officials postponed the signing ceremony, according to an official of the opposition.
The West-backed GCC plan stipulated that the opposition Joint Meeting Parties should form a national unity government within seven days after signing the deal to end the months-long street protests.
Under the plan, Saleh should leave office within 30 days in exchange for immunity from prosecution, and the new government should arrange presidential and parliamentary elections in 60 days.
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