British Foreign Office supports Yemeni dialogue

The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has urged Yemeni political movements to unite and participate in the upcoming National Dialogue Conference. In a statement issued ahead of Monday's opening session of the conference in capital Sanaa, an FCO spokesperson says that Yemenis must "seize this opportunity" in "creating a new future for their country." "The dialogue will require the broadest possible participation. We encourage all Yemenis, including participants from the South, North, youth groups, women and all established parties, to seize this opportunity," the statement says. The FCO calls on all sides to engage in debate "with open minds and without pre-conditions," adding that "it is now time for Yemenis to decide together what their future holds." The British Foreign Office also praises Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and other political leaders for their "great resolve and determination." Yemen's national dialogue, which opens on March 18 in Sanaa and runs for six months, brings together 565 representatives from various political groups.