The Yemeni-European Peace Conference, chaired by Sheikh Saleh Mohammed bin Shajae, head of the National Coalition for Peacemaking in Yemen, was held in Berlin yesterday.

The conference discussed a number of key issues that contribute to building peace and ending violence in Yemen. Prominent Yemeni, Arab and European figures as well as representatives of a number of interested organizations around the world were in attendance.

Sheikh Saleh Mohammed bin Shajae, the head of the National Coalition for Peacemaking in Yemen, said that the continuation of the war in Yemen will only lead to more destruction, devastation and the loss of lives of children who die in large numbers either being killed or starving to death while Yemen is sliding day by day towards more serious and catastrophic turns that make the country experience world's largest famine worldwide.

Shajae said in a speech delivered at the conference that the destruction, devastation, killing and displacement necessitate that the warring sides look for safe and urgent exit of this ongoing fighting. He called on all parties to the conflict in Yemen to listen to the voice of reason and wisdom, respond to sound mechanisms of peace, bring the cycle of conflict and violence to an end and that everyone return to dialogue to resolve all differences away from fighting. He emphasized that weapons do not make peace, and that peace is a priority over war as security and building are priorities over destruction and fighting.

Shajae attributed the failure of the peace initiatives launched several times since the outbreak of the war in Yemen and the efforts exerted during the past period to the stubborn and hardened stances of the parties to the conflict and their rejection to offer concession for the sake of peace and stopping the bloodshed.

He said that this conference stems from our moral and humanitarian responsibility towards Yemen and its noble people with the aim of contributing to finding solutions to end the war and stop the bloodshed of the Yemeni people. This is a collective responsibility that must be felt by all concerned parties and make concessions for the purpose of peace given that there will be no victor in the war and the Yemenis will suffer from its negative repercussions as well as the region and the world as a whole, he said.

Shajae called on all parties to the conflict in Yemen and the political forces to turn the page of the past, put aside revenge and grudges, all parties abandon their demands without exception, work to resume the political negotiations, support the efforts of the United Nations to restore the political track and look for dialogue-based solutions to the crisis in order to reach a comprehensive national reconciliation that does not exclude any one based on the principle of peaceful coexistence and acceptance of the other, as well as stopping all that would fan the flames of regional and sectarian violence.

He also called on the political parties to respect the tribal structure in Yemen and not to ignore that, urging these parties to draw lessons from the past and benefit from them, indicating that the parties should abandon the mentality of political quotas and the sharing of positions among themselves, a matter which proved to be a failure and led Yemen to what experiences today.

The conference issued a final statement stressing Yemen's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity, and not being violated by any internal or external parties under any circumstances or justification. He also called for the repeal of UN Security Council Resolution 2216, excluding it in the references of the comprehensive solution in Yemen besides removing Yemen from Chapter VII of the UN Security Council.

The statement also called for an immediate end to the war by the internal and external parties as well as lifting the siege imposed on Yemeni ports and airports, and the opening of all crossings and roads between Yemeni cities.

The statement called for consensus on a Yemeni transitional council to run Yemen for a period of time during which preparations will be made for holding presidential elections of national figures who did not participate in the killing and bloodshed of Yemenis under direct international supervision to enable the Yemeni people to exercise their democratic right freely and impartially.

The statement called for the reconstruction of Yemen with the support of the countries that participated in the war against this country and the construction can be carried out under the direct supervision of the above-mentioned Yemeni transitional council .

The statement emphasized the importance of intensifying relief activities to include all parts of the country and reach all war-hit Yemenis.

The Conference expressed thanks to Germany, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait for their humanitarian stances in support of peace in Yemen.

The conference ended up with the formation of legal, humanitarian and communication committees to follow up the outcomes of the conference and its recommendations.