Saudi FM holds Syria, Yemen talks in Oman

Saudi FM holds Syria, Yemen talks in Oman

Saudi FM holds Syria, Yemen talks in Oman

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir has held
talks in Oman, a traditional mediator in the
region, on the conflicts in Syria and Yemen
where Riyadh has taken sides.
Jubeir and his Omani counterpart Yussef
bin Alawi reviewed “the situation in
Syria and Yemen and means of
strengthening cooperation” among the
six Arab states in the Gulf, the Saudi
foreign minister said late Thursday after
their meeting in Muscat.
He told Oman’s ONA news agency that
“the view is one” between Saudi Arabia
and Oman on “all the matters discussed
today”.
Unlike its Gulf neighbours, Oman
maintains good ties with Shiite Iran — a
key backer of Syrian President Bashar al-
Assad’s regime and of Shiite Huthi rebels
in Yemen.
It is also the region’s only Arab
monarchy not to have cut ties with
Damascus.
Saudi Arabia has taken an active role,
supplying arms to anti-Assad rebel
groups and leading an Arab coalition
battling rebels in Yemen.
Alawi, for his part, said the sultanate
was “exerting diplomatic efforts to find
a peaceful solution in Syria and Yemen”.
Oman is seeking through “calm
diplomacy… rapprochement among all
parties to achieve long-lasting political
solutions”, Alawi, who met Assad in
Damascus last month, told ONA.
He said Riyadh and Muscat had “shared
goals” on regional conflicts and “agreed
to look forward and break from the past
concerning regional issues”.
His visit to Damascus had been
“necessary”, Alawi said, adding that the
meeting with Jubeir had been scheduled
before his talks with Assad.
Oman’s discreet diplomacy has
contributed to several breakthroughs this
year, including the release in August of a
French hostage held in Yemen and Iran’s
nuclear deal with world powers in July.
The sultanate has also hosted closed-door
meetings between Yemeni rebel leaders
and US officials.