President Dr. Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi, Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, and Council member Dr. Abdullah Al-Alimi, received today, Wednesday, United Kingdom Foreign Secretary David Cameron to discuss national and regional developments of common interest.

The meeting touched on the long-standing bilateral relations between the two friendly countries, ways to strengthen them in all fields, and the British support required to improve the position of the Yemeni economy and alleviate the human suffering caused by the terrorist Houthi militias supported by the Iranian regime.

The Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, and a member of the Council, presented the British Minister with an overview of the developments in Yemen, including the opportunities for peace efforts led by the United Nations based on the results of the efforts of the brothers in the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as the Houthi militias continue their obstructive escalation in this regard.

The President praised the United Kingdom’s leading role as a pen-holder in the UN Security Council, and its positions in support of the Yemeni people, their political leadership, and their right to restore state institutions, security, stability, and development.

The Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council and a member of the Council spoke about the real backgrounds of the Houthi militia attacks against international shipping lines in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, their profound repercussions on the supply chains of basic goods, and the deterioration of the living conditions of the Yemeni people.

President Al-Alimi warned of the dangers of the continued flow of Iranian weapons and smuggled funds to the Houthi militias and the terrorist organizations serving them on global peace, stressing the importance of shifting the international approach in dealing with the Yemeni file to more stringent punitive measures against rogue militias, and strict implementation of international legitimacy resolutions. Relevant, in particular Resolution 2216.

The President reiterated that implementing international resolutions and supporting the legitimate government that is a member of the United Nations must be the only and surest option to secure international shipping lines and restore port cities that terrorist militias have turned into a platform to threaten navigational security and world peace.

The President stressed the keenness of the Presidential Command Council and the government to fully consult and coordinate with the United Kingdom and the international community to limit any side effects of classifying the Houthi militias as a terrorist organization, and to ensure the flow of goods and services, and the freedom of movement of relief agencies and the humanitarian work community, with the government’s commitment to an open approach to all matters. Initiatives aimed at bringing about the just and comprehensive peace that the Yemeni people deserve.

For his part, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron stressed the United Kingdom's strong commitment to supporting the efforts of the Presidential Command Council and the government to restore state institutions and continue British humanitarian and development interventions at all levels.

Minister Cameron also stressed his country's keenness on the security and stability of the region, global freedom of navigation, and supporting the efforts of the UN Special Envoy to launch a comprehensive political process that meets the aspirations of all Yemenis.

The meeting was attended by the Director of the Office of the Presidency of the Republic, Dr. Yahya Al-Shuaibi, and on the British side, the Minister of Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lord Tariq Ahmed, and the British Ambassador to Yemen, Abdo Sharif.