Cairo, January 3 (QNA) - The Arab League welcomed the call by the president of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al Alimi, to hold a comprehensive conference in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to discuss just solutions to the southern issue. The League also expressed its appreciation for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's swift response to this request from the legitimate Yemeni government and its announcement of its readiness to host and sponsor the conference with the participation of southern factions.

In a statement issued today, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said, "The situation in southern Yemen has well-known historical dimensions and involves just aspects that must be discussed at the negotiating table within a comprehensive Yemeni framework." He stressed that "the policy of imposing a fait accompli does not serve the southern cause; rather, it harms it greatly by exposing the country to further fragmentation and disintegration."

In this regard, Aboul Gheit noted the Arab League's position, as stated in its successive resolutions on the Yemeni crisis, which stems from a commitment to the unity of Yemen and the integrity of its national territory. (QNA)