Egypt has welcomed the announcement of a truce in Yemen and hopes it can help to achieve a comprehensive settlement of the crisis.

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Friday evening, shortly after the announcement of the armistice, that “Egypt welcomes the statement issued by the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, which includes the announcement of a two-month armistice, starting on Saturday.”

“Egypt looks forward to the armistice contributing to efforts to reach a comprehensive settlement of the Yemeni crisis and supporting initiatives for a political solution, including the current consultations hosted by Riyadh, based on the relevant Security Council resolutions, the Gulf initiative and its implementation mechanisms and the outcomes of the national dialogue in a manner that preserves the unity and independence of Yemen and preserves the capabilities of the brotherly Yemeni people and their aspiration towards security, stability and prosperity,” the ministry said.

Earlier on Friday, the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, announced that the parties to the conflict had responded positively to the UN’s proposal for a two-month armistice that will come into force on Saturday.

According to the UN, the armistice can be renewed after the expiry of the two-month period with the consent of the parties.