Yemeni Foreign Minister Abdel-Malek al-Mekhlafi said that 70 percent of Yemeni territory is under the control of the legitimate government.

FM al-Mekhlafi also told Asharq Al-Awsat, “Current ground status is under the legitimacy’s dominance, given that 70 percent of land is under the government’s control, which is a crushing defeat for the insurgents.”

When asked about the Geneva negotiations that will resume on Jan. 14, al-Mekhlafi said, “There are international guarantees coming from the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council on forcing the other party to take steps toward building up trust so that deliberations can continue, among the guarantees given was the release of detained politicians, especially Yemen’s Defense Minister Mahmoud Salim Subaihi, President Abd Rabbuh Hadi’s brother along with others, the halt of all the media prodding, and to commit to the cease fire.”

He also stressed on all guarantees to be carried out before the new round of discussions resume on Jan. 14, so that well intentions are reserved and they can prepare for the uphill phase after. If the date is reached with none of the above mentioned demands being achieved, questions on why they should be participating in the discussions will rise.

On the subject of international commitment to work on the trust build process and the Houthis complying to this phase’s requirements al-Mekhlafi confirmed: “We have indeed attained international promise that these cases will be followed up with guarantees given by the United States of America, Britain and other Security Council permanent members. Houthis are obliged with carrying out those guarantees, and have agreed principally on carrying out these tasks; however no true measures have been taken on the subject.”