Japan’s Motegi Expresses Support for Yemen’s Interim Govt

Tokyo, Aug. 19 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi has expressed continued support for Yemen’s interim government during a meeting with Rashad Al-Alimi, head of the government, in Saudi Arabia. At the meeting in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Tuesday afternoon local time, Motegi said that stability in Yemen, which faces the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key maritime chokepoint that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, is “directly linked to stability and development of the entire international community.” The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is becoming increasingly important as an alternative route for crude oil shipments to the Strait of Hormuz. However, the recent attacks on vessels by the Houthis, a pro-Iranian armed group fighting the interim government, have raised concerns over the safety of navigation. Motegi condemned the attacks and said that Japan has requested that Iran urge the Houthis to exercise restraint. Al-Alimi, also head of the Presidential Leadership Council, praised Japan’s response. The two officials agreed to continue close cooperation. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]