KUWAIT: (From left) Director of policy planning at the UAE foreign ministry Mohammad Abu Shahab, Kuwait’s foreign ministry undersecretary Khaled Al- Jarallah, US State Department undersecretary of state for public affairs Rick Stengel and head of the coalition communications cell at the UK foreign and commonwealth office Dan Chugg attend the ‘Global Coalition Against ISIS’ communication working group’s conference yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat KUWAIT: (From left) Director of policy planning at the UAE foreign ministry Mohammad Abu Shahab, Kuwait’s foreign ministry undersecretary Khaled Al- Jarallah, US State Department undersecretary of state for public affairs Rick Stengel and head of the coalition communications cell at the UK foreign and commonwealth office Dan Chugg attend the ‘Global Coalition Against ISIS’ communication working group’s conference yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Jarallah called on the international community yesterday to collaborate on implementing a broad strategy to combat the so-called Islamic State (IS) and other terrorist groups. Jarallah made the remarks during the opening session of the sixth meeting of the communication group of the international coalition against the so-called Islamic State, co-chaired by the United Arab Emirates, United States and the United Kingdom.

This strategy requires educational institutions and media outlets to initiate an electronic portal that would extoll the virtues of moderation, while portraying Islam's genuine image, one that advocates peace and denounces hate, he said. This meeting is a testament to the international community's determination to uphold security and rid the world of terrorism, Jarallah noted.

These terrorist groups have exploited the use of social media to propagate radical ideologies, the deputy foreign minister said. Moreover, Jarallah said that Kuwait has begun implementing a strategy to espouse moderation and stifle extremism. Kuwait remains "vehemently opposed" to all forms and manifestations of terrorism, he added.

In his speech, US Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Affairs Richard Stengel said that it is imperative to curb the spread of IS' message "through military or electronic means". "We are working on a portal to halt the spread of terrorist messages, and social network websites have been willing to cooperate with us," he noted.

Director of the UAE foreign ministry's Policy Planning Department Mohammed Abu Shehab said that his country has formed a number of centers designed to fight terrorism. Abu Shehab also underscored the need to look beyond the Internet, as "IS is capable of employing other means to disseminate its ideologies".

Jarallah also said there is a "sense of optimism" that over ongoing UN-brokered Yemen peace talks hosted by Kuwait, adding that "the Yemenis are adamant that these peace talks result in success". Responding to a question on conflicting point of views regarding the talks, the deputy foreign minister dismissed it as "perfectly normal", saying that it is "virtually impossible to find a solution to a conflict that has raged for over a year in merely a day or two".

Moreover, Jarallah underscored that Kuwait is honored to host the peace talks in order to put an end to the misery of the Yemeni people. "Kuwait is confident in UN Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed's efforts of helping the opposing Yemeni sides to mend their differences, " he noted. "I can't put a timeframe on these talks, but I hope they result in success and we remain optimistic," he added.

Later, Ould Cheikh Ahmed welcomed "tangible progress" to end hostilities in the war-torn country. "Reports indicate real improvement in the situation which reflects the parties' commitment to the cessation of hostilities," Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said in a statement at the end of the fifth day of negotiations. His remarks come a day after he spoke of "significant differences" between the Iran-backed Yemeni rebels and the government delegation that began negotiating on Thursday.

Ould Cheikh Ahmed said that a ceasefire coordination committee and local committees were "exerting extraordinary efforts to ensure the safety and security of Yemenis". The UN envoy said he was encouraged by these "positive developments" and proposed to the heads of the delegations a "general framework" for the talks to be discussed in the coming days, without giving details.

Since the delayed talks began on Thursday, the two delegations have been unable to reach a common understanding on how to firm up a ceasefire that went into effect on April 11. The delegations have agreed to appoint two officials, one from each side, to make recommendations on how to sustain the ceasefire, the UN envoy said. The government delegation has insisted that the truce should include confidence-building measures such as opening safe passage to besieged areas and releasing prisoners.

The Iran-backed Houthis are demanding an immediate halt to air strikes and sorties that a Saudi-led coalition has carried out since March last year in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. Foreign Minister Abdulmalek Al-Mikhlafi, who heads the government delegation, described the negotiations as "impotent" and accused the rebels of avoiding discussion of key issues. Mikhlafi said on Facebook that the rebel delegation had backed down several times on proposals they had made.

The rebels have insisted that no ceasefire can be established without an end to coalition air strikes. The coalition has said it reserves the right to respond to rebel violations of the ceasefire, with air strikes if necessary. Both sides also disagree on other key issues. The government wants the discussions to start with the issue of a Houthi withdrawal from areas they have overrun, including the capital Sanaa, and their surrender of all heavy weaponry. But the rebels want the political process and the establishment of a national unity government to come first, sources close to the talks said. - Agencies

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