Riyadh, April 29, 2020, SPA -- The members of the Security Council expressed their strong concern at the 25 April declaration of the Southern Transitional Council (STC). They reaffirmed their strong commitment to Yemen’s unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and called for expediting implementation of the Riyadh Agreement. They expressed concern that the STC actions could distract from the efforts of Special Envoy Martin Griffiths to secure a nationwide ceasefire, confidence-building measures, and the restart of a Yemeni-led and owned inclusive political process. They urged the Government of Yemen and the Houthis to reinforce their engagement with a view to reaching agreement on the Special Envoy’s proposals as soon as possible. They welcomed the announcement by the “Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen” on extending their unilateral ceasefire in support of the UN peace process and urged the Houthis to join the Government of Yemen in reciprocating immediately, in order to stop ongoing hostilities and counter the outbreak of COVID-19. --SPA 01:58 LOCAL TIME 22:58 GMT 0032 www.spa.gov.sa/w1318390