Yemen government, Southern Transitional Council sign Riyadh Agreement

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, congratulated the two sides on the deal.

Yemen's internationally recognised government signed a power-sharing deal with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) on Tuesday, in a Saudi-brokered initiative to end the conflict.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, attended the signing of the Riyadh Agreement.
"This agreement will open a new period of stability in Yemen. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia stands with you," Prince Mohammed bin Salman said at the signing ceremony in Riyadh aired on state television.
The deal will reportedly see the Southern Transitional Council (STC) handed a number of ministries, and the government return to Aden, according to officials and reports in Saudi media.
The UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, congratulated the two sides on the deal.
"The signing of this agreement is an important step for our collective efforts to advance a peaceful settlement to the conflict in Yemen," he said in a statement.
"Listening to southern stakeholders is important to the political efforts to achieve peace in the country."
Both Yemen's President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and STC leader Aidarous Al Zoubeidi attended the ceremony.  
Mohamed bin Zayed and Mohammed bin Salman review Yemen issue
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman deliberated the prospects for consolidating the brotherly relations between the two countries across all fronts. This was in addition to reviewing the latest developments of the Yemen issue, and ways of ensuring all possible support for the Yemeni people to realise their hopes for development and peace.
The two leaders reviewed the latest developments in the Gulf region in particular and the Middle East in general. They also exchanged views over a series of regional and international issues of common interest.
Sheikh Mohamed underscored the deeply rooted relations between the UAE and the Kingdom, which Abu Dhabi Crown Prince said are based on mutual respect and common destiny and shared vision.
He commended the significant role played by Saudi Arabia in promoting stability under which he termed as "exceptional circumstances" the region is going through.