DUBAI, December 30. /TASS/. The United Arab Emirates has dismissed Saudi Arabia's accusations that it had put pressure on separatists from the Southern Transitional Council to conduct military operations near the kingdom's borders, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"The UAE categorically rejects [attempts] to draw them into the tension between the Yemeni parties and expresses its bewilderment at the allegations of presumed pressure or [sending] instructions to any Yemeni side to conduct military operations affecting the security of the fraternal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," the document reads.

Abu Dhabi also expressed "deep regret" over Riyadh's statement, noting that it contains "significant distortions of facts" regarding the UAE's role in the current events in Yemen.

The statement said the UAE fully respects the sovereignty and national security of Saudi Arabia. "The UAE reaffirms its continued commitment to the security and stability of the fraternal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its full respect for its sovereignty and national security, and its rejection of any actions that could threaten the security of the kingdom or the region," the statement says. The ministry added that "they always strive for full coordination with their brothers in the kingdom," and relations between the two countries "constitute the fundamental pillar of stability in the region."

Abu Dhabi's position regarding the events in the Yemeni provinces of Hadramaut and Al-Mahrah, according to the statement, was to "contain the situation and support de-escalation routes" in coordination with Riyadh. Commenting on the statement by official representative of the Saudi-led coalition Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki about the operation in the port of Mukalla, the Foreign Ministry rejected "the allegations concerning the incitement of the Yemeni conflict," saying that the alliance's statement was made without consulting the member states of the Arabian coalition. "The ministry confirms that the specified cargo did not contain any weapons and that the unloaded vehicles were not intended for any Yemeni side, but were delivered for use by the Emirati forces operating in Yemen," the statement says. The ministry added that the delivery of equipment was coordinated with the Saudi side "at a high level" on condition that the vehicles would not leave the port. "The UAE was surprised that [the equipment] was attacked in the port of Mukalla," the Foreign Ministry said.

UAE drew attention to the fact that its presence in Yemen is carried out at the invitation of the internationally recognized government of Yemen and within the framework of the mandate of the Arab coalition to support the legitimate authorities and combat terrorism. The Foreign Ministry called for resolving the issues that have arisen "with responsibility, wisdom and restraint," given the threats from terrorist groups in Yemen.

Escalation of the situation in the east of Yemen

On December 9, chairman of the Southern Transitional Council loyal to the UAE Aidarous al-Zoubaidi established control over the eastern provinces of Hadramaut and Al-Mahrah. He promised to create institutions of the future state in the south of Yemen at the next stage. On Thursday, the Saudi Foreign Ministry assessed the actions of the separatists an unjustified escalation and called on the United Nations to withdraw forces from these regions. On the evening of December 27, a government source told the SABA news agency that head of Yemen's Presidential Governing Council Rashad Mohammed al-Alimi had requested military assistance from the Saudi-led coalition.

On Tuesday night, the Arab coalition carried out an airstrike on the port of Mukalla in Hadramaut. According to al-Maliki, the operation was limited and was directed "against weapons and military equipment unloaded from two ships" that were traveling from the UAE. Later al-Alimi signed a decree canceling the joint defense agreement with the UAE, demanding the withdrawal of Emirati forces from the republic within 24 hours. He also imposed a state of emergency for 90 days. The Saudi Foreign Ministry accused the UAE of supporting the insurgency in eastern Yemen, calling it a threat to its national security.