Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Socialist Party)
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647. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the discussions he has held with European Union Ministers for Foreign Affairs and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs on the conflict in Yemen; and his views on the support France and the United Kingdom are providing to one side in the conflict. [13897/15]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Socialist Party)
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648. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if representations have been made to embassies of Middle Eastern or north African states to Ireland on the conflict in Yemen; and the representations that have been made by embassies of Ireland in the region to respective states on the conflict in Yemen. [13898/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 647 and 648 together.

The EU Foreign Affairs Council most recently considered the situation in Yemen at its meeting on 9 February 2015. At this meeting, I participated in a discussion of the crisis in Yemen with my fellow Ministers and with the High Representative. In light of this, conclusions were published which set out the EU’s views on the steps required to achieve a sustainable solution to the developing crisis in the country at that time.

Regrettably, the political and security crisis in Yemen has deepened since then. In recent weeks, a coalition of states led by Saudi Arabia has launched air strikes in response to advances by Houthi forces.

My Department has not, to date, discussed the recent crisis in Yemen with the Embassies of Middle Eastern or North African countries.

Our Embassy in Riyadh, which covers Yemen, is carefully monitoring the evolving crisis and its implications for the region, as well as providing consular assistance to Irish citizens affected by recent events.

Yemen is expected to feature in discussions at the upcoming Foreign Affairs Council on 20 April. At this meeting I look forward to engaging in a discussion of the crisis in Yemen in light of recent events with the High Representative and with my fellow Ministers, including those from France and the UK.

I am not in a position to comment on the support, if any, provided by other states to the Saudi-led coalition.

My own view is that peace talks are the optimum way to achieve a political consensus which can restore order to Yemen and avoid a protracted and sectarian conflict with implications for the future of Yemen and for the stability of the region. I would encourage all parties to engage with UN Special Adviser Jamal Benomar to this end, so that a ceasefire can be agreed and a negotiated political solution found.