DUBAI, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) top diplomat said on Tuesday that a UN-led political process in Yemen can be accelerated only after the Yemeni Red Sea port city of Hodeidah is liberated from Houthi rebels.
"We are determined to end this war. Our priority is the peaceful withdrawal of Houthi militias from the city and the port," UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said on his Twitter account.
Securing Hodeidah is "an essential step toward a political conclusion. Otherwise the mentality of zero sum solutions and utility of profiteering from a war economy will continue to prevail," he explained.
The UAE minister also reaffirmed his support for "the UN-led efforts in Hodeidah and Yemen."
On Sunday, the Saudi-led coalition said in a statement that the Houthi rebels were continuing their two-month block of two oil ships from entering the Hodeidah port.
Strategically situated on the Red Sea coast, Hodeidah, Yemen's fourth largest city with a population of 600,000, is the only major port city under Houthis' control.
The Hodeidah port, which Iran-backed Houthis captured in October 2014, serves as a key source of strength for Houthi militias because it is regarded as a lifeline for many Yemenis.
The UAE has been part of a Saudi-led military coalition since the beginning of its intervention in Yemen's civil war in March 2015.
