DUBAI: The legitimate government of Yemen has agreed to participate in the peace talks set to be held in Sweden “soon,” Saudi Arabia’s King Salman said during his opening speech at the Kingdom’s Shoura Council on Monday.
The Kings statement came hours after a senior leader of the Houthi militia said the group would stop firing missiles into Saudi Arabia for the sake of peace efforts.
The Houthi leader, Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi, said the Iran-backed rebels ordered the cessation of rocket and drone attacks on the Saudis and forces loyal to coalition member the United Arab Emirates at the request of UN special envoy Martin Griffiths.
The statement was carried by militia-controlled media early on Monday.
Griffiths announced on Friday that both sides had agreed to attend talks in Sweden “soon” aimed at ending the three-year war. The announcement followed an informal de-escalation last week around the key port city of Hodeidah.
At the time Martin Griffiths told UN Security Council members: “This is a crucial moment for Yemen.”
