Luxembourg, 24/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - While welcoming the progress made by the Yemen National Dialogue Conference, EU foreign affairs ministers - who were meeting at the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 24 June - called on the participants in the Conference to accelerate the procedural issues and to address the issues of substance urgently so as to respect the timeframes and enable a constitutional referendum followed by general elections. In their conclusions, the EU ministers urge all Yemeni parties to engage “constructively” in the dialogue, and to support the peaceful and orderly transition process. The EU also underlines its “serious concern” over all acts aiming to undermine, hinder or derail the transition process.
“Specifically concerned” by the increase of tensions in the south, “which pose a significant threat to Yemen's transition, its stability and integrity”, the Council calls on all representatives of the south to contribute to a peaceful solution to the underlying conflict as part of the national dialogue, and it calls on the authorities to implement measures of confidence.
The Council also stresses the urgency of making progress in political, economic and security reforms, and of tackling the humanitarian situation. (CG/transl.fl)