国际英语新闻:Kerry Set for Security Talks with Gulf Ministers in Paris

PARIS—Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Paris, where he will hold talks with Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers in a bid to lay the groundwork for a White House summit with Gulf leaders next week.

A focal point of Friday’s talks will be Iran’s growing influence in the Middle East.

Some Gulf nations have expressed concern that a possible Iran nuclear deal could destabilize the region. They have also raised concerns about Iran’s influence in countries such as Yemen, where Tehran is believed to be providing support to Shi’ite Houthi rebels.

Earlier Thursday, Kerry said “the United States is deeply concerned about Iran’s actions in the region.”

He commented from Riyadh in a joint news conference with his Saudi counterpart, Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir.

Kerry said a priority for the Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Paris was to “concentrate our minds on those steps necessary to provide greater stability and security.”

The Gulf Cooperation Council is composed of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait.

The Gulf leaders will meet with President Barack Obama at the White House on Wednesday and at the Camp David presidential retreat on Thursday.  The White House says the summit is an opportunity for U.S. and Gulf leaders to enhance their partnership and deepen security cooperation.

Kerry is wrapping up a weeklong trip that included stops in Sri Lanka, Kenya, Somalia and Djibouti. While in Paris, he will also hold talks with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and participate in World War II Victory Day commemorations before returning to Washington.

Cease-fire in Yemen

In Saudi Arabia, Kerry and Jubeir announced plans to pursue a five-day humanitarian pause in Yemen, where fighting by Houthi rebels has forced thousands of people from the country. They said the cease-fire would be renewable, depending on the situation on the ground.

Al-Jubeir said there had been no initial contact with the Houthis, who are believed to receive support from Iran, on whether they would support a cease-fire.

Kerry added, “We strongly urge the Houthis and those who back them — whom we suggest use all their influence — not to miss this major opportunity to address the needs of the Yemeni people and find a peaceful way forward in Yemen."

Kerry said the humanitarian pause would mean "no bombing, no shooting" and no repositioning of troops.

Al-Jubeir urged the Houthi rebels to halt attacks as well, saying: "There will be a cease-fire everywhere or a cease-fire nowhere." He added that he hoped the Houthis would care enough about the Yemeni people to support the plan.

The Saudi foreign minister said more details would be announced within the coming days about the proposed pause.

Earlier this week, Yemen’s U.N ambassador sent a letter to the Security Council, urging the international community to “quickly intervene” with ground forces in Yemen.

Asked about the request, Kerry said neither the U.S. nor Saudi Arabia had been talking about sending in ground troops.

On Wednesday, Kerry said the U.S. would provide another $68 million in humanitarian assistance to Yemen. The money will be used to provide food, water, shelter, medical care and other aid.

The State Department said the money would help humanitarian organizations, which have been hampered by fuel shortages in the country, meet the needs of nearly 16 million people in Yemen affected by the country’s crisis, including about 300,000 who have been internally displaced.

Saudi Arabia will provide $274 million in new assistance, al-Jubeir said Thursday.

The United Nations said about 650 civilians have been killed in Yemen’s unrest.