WASHINGTON — The United States has commended Saudi Arabia’s role in realizing a two-month extension of the ongoing truce in Yemen.

In her daily press briefing on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that this truce would not have been possible without the cooperative diplomacy from across the region, citing the courageous leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman in assisting to consolidate the truce.

She said, “We welcome the announcement of extending the truce by two more months. And it is important to make this truce which is extended today to a permanent truce.”

She confirmed that the US will continue extending support for regional diplomacy to de-escalate tensions wherever possible in the region and will focus intensively on deterring threats to the friends and partners of the United States in the Middle East.

The European Union on Friday welcomed UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg’s announcement saying the truce in Yemen has been extended for two months.

In a press release from his office in Brussels, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said that since April 2, the truce has experienced tangible benefits to the Yemeni people, adding that the EU encourages the continuation of work to re-open roads, particularly around the city of Taiz.

He confirmed that the EU will continue to work with all parties in Yemen and will provide full support for the UN special envoy Grundberg for the sake of reaching a political solution to the crisis in Yemen. — SG/SPA