Saudi Arabia began on Saturday, diplomatic and military moves regarding to the Sweden agreement file in Hodeida, on the eve of circulating media reports the news of appointing the European Union ambassador to Yemen, Hans Grodenberg as UN envoy to Yemen alternative to the British Martin Griffiths. Will Saudi Arabia object to Grodenberg’s appointment or it is an attempt to impose a specific agenda on the European Union’s table?
Exclusive-Alkhabar Alyemeni:
On the diplomatic front, Saudi Arabia began attempts to rapprochement with United States by dispatching its deputy defense minister, Khalid bin Salman, next week, after tension that almost brought the two allies in the war on Yemen to a crossroads, and after it succeeded in reducing the gap between it and Russia with agreements in oil market, these developments also coincide with military movements that emerged during the past hours with a military escalation on the western coast of Yemen, which was originally protected by an agreement sponsored by Sweden years ago, and it is the only achievement in Yemen file, which is attracted by several international parties, and all of them are indications that Saudi Arabia, whose new moves coincided with the leak of the new envoy name to Yemen, it is trying to object on the appointment of Grodenberg, who has been serving for years as ambassador to the European Union.
The matter doesn’t seem to be related to Grodenberg personally, but rather to the European Union, which has close ties with Iran, especially Sweden. This indicates to Saudi concerns about the repercussions of Grodenberg’s appointment as envoy to Yemen, especially in light of the recent German statements, as one of the most important European Union countries that linked the Yemen file with the nuclear negotiations file with Iran.
Although the United Nations did not deny or confirm media reports regarding the appointment of its Secretary-General Grodenberg as an envoy to Yemen, the Saudi escalation carries several messages at this time. The most prominent of these is the attempt to support influential parties in the Security Council, such as Russia, which presented its ambassador as a candidate for the post of an envoy to Yemen. It had previously objected to the British and Swedish candidates, as well as to states that play a role in United Nations resolutions.
But at the end, it indicates, through its escalation, that it is not cooperating with the European ambassador as a new UN envoy, and even threatens to torpedo the only achievement of his country represented in Stockholm Agreement in Hodeidah, which will lead eventually to the conclusion of a deal similar to what the member of the supreme political council in Sana’a, Muhammad Ali Al-Houthi predicted that appointing the new UN envoy to Yemen is link to special agendas, which might complicate his path in the future.
