Blinken, Saudi FM discuss Yemen in 1st phone call

Washington, Feb 7 : In a first-ever conversation with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, US Secretary of State Antony Blinked outlined a series of measures of the new administration aimed at ending the war in Yemen.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Department of State’s spokesman Ned Price said: “Secretary Blinken and the Foreign Minister discussed regional security, counterterrorism, and cooperation to deter and defend against attacks on the Kingdom.
“The Secretary outlined several key priorities of the new administration including elevating human rights issues and ending the war in Yemen.” Taking to Twitter while confirming the development, Blinken said: “Saudi Arabia is an important security partner. We will continue our work together to defend the Kingdom from external threats, while revitalizing diplomacy to end the Yemen conflict and elevating human rights issues within our relationship.” The Department’s statement came a day after the new administration on President Joe Biden announced on Friday that it would revoke the designation of the Houthi militia in Yemen as a terrorist organization.
According to critics, the designation, which was announced by former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on January 11, could hinder efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to areas under the militia’s control.