Saudi Arabia welcomed positive results from discussions to reach a road map supporting the peace process in Yemen, the kingdom’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, after Houthi negotiators’ talks with the Saudis in Riyadh.

Houthi envoys left Riyadh on Tuesday after a five-day round of talks with Saudi officials on ending the eight-year-old conflict in Yemen, sources familiar with the meeting and Houthi media said.

The kingdom reaffirmed its commitment to promoting dialogue among all warring parties in Yemen, the Saudi defence minister said on Wednesday after meeting with the Houthi delegation.

“I emphasised the Kingdom’s support for Yemen and reaffirmed our commitment to promoting dialogue among all parties to reach a comprehensive political solution under UN supervision,” Prince Khalid bin Salman said in a post on messaging platform X.

Houthi envoys left Riyadh on Tuesday after a five-day round of talks with Saudi officials on a potential agreement paving the way to put an end to the eight-year-old conflict in Yemen, sources familiar with the meeting and Houthi media said.

Some progress has been made on the main sticking points, including a timeline for foreign troops exiting Yemen and a mechanism for paying public wages, two sources said, adding the sides would meet for more talks after consultations “soon.”

The Houthi delegation arrived in Saudi Arabia last week. It was the first such official visit to the kingdom since the war broke out in Yemen in 2014 after the Iran-aligned group ousted a Saudi-backed government there.

The talks are focused on a full reopening of Houthi-controlled ports and Sanaa airport, payment of wages for public servants, rebuilding efforts, and a timeline for foreign forces to quit Yemen. An agreement would allow the United Nations to restart a broader political peace process.

The Houthis have been fighting against a Saudi-led military alliance since 2015 in a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and left 80% of Yemen’s population dependent on humanitarian aid.

The United States has put pressure on its ally Saudi Arabia to end the war and linked some U.S. military support to the kingdom to ending its involvement in Yemen.

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Saudi Arabia welcomed positive results from discussions to reach a road map supporting the peace process in Yemen, the kingdom’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, after Houthi negotiators’ talks with the Saudis in Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia welcomed positive results from discussions to reach a road map supporting the peace process in Yemen, the kingdom’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, after Houthi negotiators’ talks with the Saudis in Riyadh. Houthi envoys left Riyadh on Tuesday after a five-day round of talks with Saudi officials on ending the eight-year-old conflict in Yemen, sources familiar with the meeting and Houthi media said. The kingdom reaffirmed its commitment to promoting dialogue among all warring parties in Yemen, the Saudi defence minister said on Wednesday after meeting with the Houthi delegation. “I emphasised the Kingdom’s support for Yemen and reaffirmed our commitment to promoting dialogue among all parties to reach a comprehensive political solution under UN supervision,” Prince Khalid bin Salman said in a post on messaging platform X. Houthi envoys left Riyadh on Tuesday after a five-day round of talks with Saudi officials on a potential agreement paving the way to put an end to the eight-year-old conflict in Yemen, sources familiar with the meeting and Houthi media said. Some progress has been made on the main sticking points, including a timeline for foreign troops exiting Yemen and a mechanism for paying public wages, two sources said, adding the sides would meet for more talks after consultations “soon.” The Houthi delegation arrived in Saudi Arabia last week. It was the first such official visit to the kingdom since the war broke out in Yemen in 2014 after the Iran-aligned group ousted a Saudi-backed government there. The talks are focused on a full reopening of Houthi-controlled ports and Sanaa airport, payment of wages for public servants, rebuilding efforts, and a timeline for foreign forces to quit Yemen. An agreement would allow the United Nations to restart a broader political peace process. The Houthis have been fighting against a Saudi-led military alliance since 2015 in a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and left 80% of Yemen’s population dependent on humanitarian aid. The United States has put pressure on its ally Saudi Arabia to end the war and linked some U.S. military support to the kingdom to ending its involvement in Yemen. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Saudi Arabia welcomes positive results of talks to support peace process in Yemen

Wion Chat: Daniele Pagani, Correspondent on Breakthrough at Yemen Peace Talks

Yemen's warring parties convene in Sweden on Thursday for UN-led peace talks for the first time since 2016 in a small victory for special envoy Martin Griffiths as he attempts to re-launch negotiations to end nearly four years of war.

Various UN&nbsp;mediators had sponsored a series of failed peace rounds since a Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 to restore the internationally recognized government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, which was ousted from the capital Sanaa by the Iranian-aligned Houthi movement in 2014.

Deep mistrust among all sides has made it difficult to launch a political process to resolve the disastrous conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and left millions living under the threat of starvation and disease.

Analysts say getting the parties to Sweden was an accomplishment in itself as the last attempt for talks in Geneva in September was abandoned when the Houthis, who control most population centres in Yemen, failed to show up.

A UN&nbsp;source said the two sides were unlikely to hold direct talks at a renovated castle outside Stockholm. Griffiths' team would shuttle between them to discuss confidence-building steps and the formation of a transitional governing body.

Prospects for the new round of talks have risen as Western allies that supply arms and intelligence to the coalition press Saudi Arabia to end the conflict, seen widely in the region as a proxy war between Riyadh and Tehran.

Delegates from both Hadi's government and the Houthi group have praised Griffiths, who took over as mediator in February, for securing some confidence-building steps ahead of the talks, including evacuating wounded Houthi fighters for treatment.

The envoy is seeking agreement on reopening Sanaa airport, swapping prisoners and securing a truce in the Houthi-held port of Hodeidah, now a focus of the war.

This could lead to a wider ceasefire that would halt coalition air strikes blamed for the deaths of thousands of civilians and Houthi missile attacks on Saudi cities.

The United Nations is trying to avert a full-scale assault on Hodeidah, the entry point for most of Yemen's commercial goods and aid. Both sides have reinforced positions in the Red Sea city in sporadic battles after a de-escalation last month.

Outrage over the Oct. 2 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom's Istanbul consulate has refocused attention on the Yemen war and scrutiny over Riyadh's regional activities.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE, leaders of the Sunni Muslim alliance, want to exit a costly war that has become bogged in a military stalemate since the coalition seized the southern port of Aden in 2015, its sole major gain despite superior air power.

The Gulf states, wary of Iranian influence, entered the war in support of Hadi, who was elected in 2012 to a two-year term to oversee a democratic transition after mass protests in 2011 toppled late former President Ali Abdullah al-Saleh.

The Houthis deny they are Iranian pawns and say their movement is a national revolution against corruption.

Yemen's warring parties convene in Sweden on Thursday for UN-led peace talks for the first time since 2016 in a small victory for special envoy Martin Griffiths as he attempts to re-launch negotiations to end nearly four years of war.

Yemen's warring parties convene in Sweden on Thursday for UN-led peace talks for the first time since 2016 in a small victory for special envoy Martin Griffiths as he attempts to re-launch negotiations to end nearly four years of war. Various UN mediators had sponsored a series of failed peace rounds since a Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 to restore the internationally recognized government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, which was ousted from the capital Sanaa by the Iranian-aligned Houthi movement in 2014. Deep mistrust among all sides has made it difficult to launch a political process to resolve the disastrous conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and left millions living under the threat of starvation and disease. Analysts say getting the parties to Sweden was an accomplishment in itself as the last attempt for talks in Geneva in September was abandoned when the Houthis, who control most population centres in Yemen, failed to show up. A UN source said the two sides were unlikely to hold direct talks at a renovated castle outside Stockholm. Griffiths' team would shuttle between them to discuss confidence-building steps and the formation of a transitional governing body. Prospects for the new round of talks have risen as Western allies that supply arms and intelligence to the coalition press Saudi Arabia to end the conflict, seen widely in the region as a proxy war between Riyadh and Tehran. Delegates from both Hadi's government and the Houthi group have praised Griffiths, who took over as mediator in February, for securing some confidence-building steps ahead of the talks, including evacuating wounded Houthi fighters for treatment. The envoy is seeking agreement on reopening Sanaa airport, swapping prisoners and securing a truce in the Houthi-held port of Hodeidah, now a focus of the war. This could lead to a wider ceasefire that would halt coalition air strikes blamed for the deaths of thousands of civilians and Houthi missile attacks on Saudi cities. The United Nations is trying to avert a full-scale assault on Hodeidah, the entry point for most of Yemen's commercial goods and aid. Both sides have reinforced positions in the Red Sea city in sporadic battles after a de-escalation last month. Outrage over the Oct. 2 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom's Istanbul consulate has refocused attention on the Yemen war and scrutiny over Riyadh's regional activities. Saudi Arabia and the UAE, leaders of the Sunni Muslim alliance, want to exit a costly war that has become bogged in a military stalemate since the coalition seized the southern port of Aden in 2015, its sole major gain despite superior air power. The Gulf states, wary of Iranian influence, entered the war in support of Hadi, who was elected in 2012 to a two-year term to oversee a democratic transition after mass protests in 2011 toppled late former President Ali Abdullah al-Saleh. The Houthis deny they are Iranian pawns and say their movement is a national revolution against corruption.

Yemen's warring parties to convene for UN-led peace talks in Sweden

Peace talks aimed at ending the war in Yemen have been set for early December in Sweden, between Huthi rebels and the UN-recognized government, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Wednesday.

He said the Saudis and United Arab Emirates -- who have militarily backed President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in the brutal three-year-old war -- "are fully on board, by the way."

"It looks like that very, very early in December, up in Sweden, we'll see both the Huthi rebel side and the UN-recognized government, President Hadi's government, will be up there."

Mattis last month made a surprise call for a ceasefire in Yemen and urged warring parties to enter negotiations within the next 30 days.

The United Nations has now pushed that deadline back to the end of the year.

Mattis' latest comments came as the US State Department said talks must not be delayed any longer, and UN envoy Martin Griffiths was in Sanaa for talks with rebel leaders to push them to join the peace talks in Sweden.

Griffiths is spearheading the biggest push in two years to end the war, which has sparked what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

It also comes a day after US President Donald Trump vowed to stick with Saudi Arabia as an ally despite the gruesome murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul October 2.

The CIA has reportedly concluded that the murder was ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, but Trump chose to overlook that in favor of the larger relationship with the kingdom.

"On the Khashoggi affair, presidents don't often get the freedom to work with unblemished partners in all things," Mattis said.

"If you want to end the war you're going to deal with Saudi. You can't say I'm not going to deal with them," he said.

US weapons

Washington has been providing bombs and other weapons, as well as intelligence support, to the Saudi-led coalition backing Hadi, but recently ended its refueling support for Saudi warplanes.

The Huthis failed to show up to peace talks in Switzerland in September, leading to the collapse of that effort to end the fighting.

The Huthis have said repeatedly that they need stronger security guarantees from the international community that they will be given safe passage through the crippling air and sea blockade the coalition has enforced since March 2015.

UN agencies say up to 14 million Yemenis are at risk of starvation if fighting closes the port of Hodeida, a gateway for humanitarian aid.

"All parties must not delay talks any longer, or insist on travel or transport conditions that call into question good faith intentions to look for a solution or to make necessary concessions," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

"The time for direct talks and building mutual confidence is now."

Nauert said the US welcomes the coalition's Tuesday announcement of $500 million to address Yemen's food security crisis.

"In addition to this, Hodeida port must be turned over to a neutral party to accelerate the distribution of aid to address the acute humanitarian crisis, and to prevent the port from being used to smuggle weapons and contraband into the country or to finance the Huthi militia," Nauert said. &nbsp;

"It is time to end this conflict, replace conflict with compromise, and allow the Yemeni people to heal through peace and reconstruction."

Years of United Nations-backed peace efforts have failed to end Yemen's fighting, which has killed nearly 10,000 people -- mostly civilians -- since the Saudi-led coalition intervened.

Peace talks aimed at ending the war in Yemen have been set for early December in Sweden, between Huthi rebels and the UN-recognized government, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Wednesday.

Peace talks aimed at ending the war in Yemen have been set for early December in Sweden, between Huthi rebels and the UN-recognized government, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Wednesday. He said the Saudis and United Arab Emirates -- who have militarily backed President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in the brutal three-year-old war -- "are fully on board, by the way." "It looks like that very, very early in December, up in Sweden, we'll see both the Huthi rebel side and the UN-recognized government, President Hadi's government, will be up there." Mattis last month made a surprise call for a ceasefire in Yemen and urged warring parties to enter negotiations within the next 30 days. The United Nations has now pushed that deadline back to the end of the year. Mattis' latest comments came as the US State Department said talks must not be delayed any longer, and UN envoy Martin Griffiths was in Sanaa for talks with rebel leaders to push them to join the peace talks in Sweden. Griffiths is spearheading the biggest push in two years to end the war, which has sparked what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. It also comes a day after US President Donald Trump vowed to stick with Saudi Arabia as an ally despite the gruesome murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul October 2. The CIA has reportedly concluded that the murder was ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, but Trump chose to overlook that in favor of the larger relationship with the kingdom. "On the Khashoggi affair, presidents don't often get the freedom to work with unblemished partners in all things," Mattis said. "If you want to end the war you're going to deal with Saudi. You can't say I'm not going to deal with them," he said. US weapons Washington has been providing bombs and other weapons, as well as intelligence support, to the Saudi-led coalition backing Hadi, but recently ended its refueling support for Saudi warplanes. The Huthis failed to show up to peace talks in Switzerland in September, leading to the collapse of that effort to end the fighting. The Huthis have said repeatedly that they need stronger security guarantees from the international community that they will be given safe passage through the crippling air and sea blockade the coalition has enforced since March 2015. UN agencies say up to 14 million Yemenis are at risk of starvation if fighting closes the port of Hodeida, a gateway for humanitarian aid. "All parties must not delay talks any longer, or insist on travel or transport conditions that call into question good faith intentions to look for a solution or to make necessary concessions," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. "The time for direct talks and building mutual confidence is now." Nauert said the US welcomes the coalition's Tuesday announcement of $500 million to address Yemen's food security crisis. "In addition to this, Hodeida port must be turned over to a neutral party to accelerate the distribution of aid to address the acute humanitarian crisis, and to prevent the port from being used to smuggle weapons and contraband into the country or to finance the Huthi militia," Nauert said. "It is time to end this conflict, replace conflict with compromise, and allow the Yemeni people to heal through peace and reconstruction." Years of United Nations-backed peace efforts have failed to end Yemen's fighting, which has killed nearly 10,000 people -- mostly civilians -- since the Saudi-led coalition intervened.

Yemen peace talks set for early December in Sweden: US

The UN special envoy for Yemen announced the end of peace talks Saturday without any major breakthrough, but also said a new round of negotiations would begin after one month. 
 
&quot;We will be leaving Kuwait today but the Yemeni peace talks are continuing,&quot; Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed told a press conference. He said he will be holding bilateral consultations with the two delegations in the coming few weeks to work out details of a peace plan. He also said that the two sides have committed to resume &quot;direct talks within a month at a venue to be agreed upon&quot;. 
 
Ould Cheikh Ahmed said Kuwait remains a possible location to host the next round. &quot;We have guarantees and commitments from the two sides that they are ready to return to the negotiating table,&quot; he said. 
 
Although the talks that began April 21 made no headway, Ould Cheikh Ahmed refused to call the process a failure. &quot;In fact, we have not failed. We believe the Kuwait talks made great progress,&quot; he said without elaborating. 
 
The end of the talks came just a few hours after Yemen&#39;s rebel Shiite Huthis and forces loyal to their ally, former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, appointed a council to govern Yemen. Ould Cheikh Ahmed condemned the move. &quot;We condemn any unilateral steps. These do not serve the Yemeni people or the peace process,&quot; he said when asked to comment about the rebel council. 
 
The rebels announced its creation on July 28, shortly before rejecting a UN peace plan because it did not meet their key demand for a unity government. That condition amounts to an explicit call for the removal of the internationally recognised president, Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. 
 
The Iran-backed Huthis overran the capital in late 2014 before moving into other parts of Yemen, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in March last year. 
 
The United Nations says that more than 6,400 people have been killed in the Arabian Peninsula country since then, mostly civilians. The fighting has also driven 2.8 million people from their homes and left more than 80 per cent of the population needing humanitarian aid. 
 
(AFP) 
 
&nbsp;

Although the talks that began April 21 made no headway, Ould Cheikh Ahmed, UN special envoy for Yemen refused to call the process a failure

The UN special envoy for Yemen announced the end of peace talks Saturday without any major breakthrough, but also said a new round of negotiations would begin after one month. "We will be leaving Kuwait today but the Yemeni peace talks are continuing," Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed told a press conference. He said he will be holding bilateral consultations with the two delegations in the coming few weeks to work out details of a peace plan. He also said that the two sides have committed to resume "direct talks within a month at a venue to be agreed upon". Ould Cheikh Ahmed said Kuwait remains a possible location to host the next round. "We have guarantees and commitments from the two sides that they are ready to return to the negotiating table," he said. Although the talks that began April 21 made no headway, Ould Cheikh Ahmed refused to call the process a failure. "In fact, we have not failed. We believe the Kuwait talks made great progress," he said without elaborating. The end of the talks came just a few hours after Yemen's rebel Shiite Huthis and forces loyal to their ally, former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, appointed a council to govern Yemen. Ould Cheikh Ahmed condemned the move. "We condemn any unilateral steps. These do not serve the Yemeni people or the peace process," he said when asked to comment about the rebel council. The rebels announced its creation on July 28, shortly before rejecting a UN peace plan because it did not meet their key demand for a unity government. That condition amounts to an explicit call for the removal of the internationally recognised president, Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. The Iran-backed Huthis overran the capital in late 2014 before moving into other parts of Yemen, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in March last year. The United Nations says that more than 6,400 people have been killed in the Arabian Peninsula country since then, mostly civilians. The fighting has also driven 2.8 million people from their homes and left more than 80 per cent of the population needing humanitarian aid. (AFP)

Yemen peace talks end in failure, but new round set

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Saudi Arabia welcomes positive results of talks to support peace process in Yemen

Wion Chat: Daniele Pagani, Correspondent on Breakthrough at Yemen Peace Talks

Yemen's warring parties to convene for UN-led peace talks in Sweden

Yemen peace talks set for early December in Sweden: US

Yemen peace talks end in failure, but new round set