Yemen’s government supports the reopening of Sanaa international airport, shut down for years in the country’s war, but only under supervision, an official said Thursday.
“We are keen on the opening of Sanaa airport, and we demand the opening of Sanaa airport and we know that the Yemeni citizen should have the right to reach any country in the world through Sanaa airport,” said Abdulaziz Jabari, a presidential advisor and member of a Yemeni government delegation at UN-brokered peace talks in Sweden.
“But… we are looking into who will supervise Sanaa airport.”
One of the government’s conditions is that planes are first inspected in the airports of Aden or Sayun which are under its control. Sanaa airport is currently controlled by the Houthis.
The proposal was made at the UN-sponsored peace talks which started on Thursday in Sweden.
The government also said that peace cannot be achieved if the Houthi militia refuses to hand over all their weapons to the government.
A government offensive on Yemen’s Hodeida is still an option if rebels refuse to withdraw from the port city, a minister said Thursday, as the warring sides met for UN-brokered talks.
“We are now in negotiations in response to calls by the international community, the UN and the UN envoy. We are still looking into means towards peace,” said Othman al-Mujalli, Yemen’s agriculture minister.
“But if they (the Houthis) are not responsive, we have many options, including that of military decisiveness,” he said in response to a question on the rebel-held city. “And we are ready.”
(With agencies)
