Yemen’s warring parties meet for 3rd day of talks in Sweden

Swedish Foreign minister Margot Wallstrom, U.N. envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths and delegates attend the opening press conference on U.N.-sponsored peace talks for Yemen at Johannesberg castle, Stockholm, Sweden. (Stina Stjernkvist /TT News Agency/Reuters)

• The talks opened Thursday on an upbeat note, with the warring sides agreeing to a broad prisoner swap
• UN officials have sought to downplay expectations from the talks, saying they don’t foresee rapid progress toward a political settlement

CAIRO: Yemen’s warring parties are meeting for a third day of talks in Sweden aimed at halting the country’s catastrophic 4-year-old war.
Both the internationally recognized government, which is backed by a US-sponsored and Saudi-led coalition, and the Iran-aligned Houthi militia say they are striving for peace.
The Houthi delegation says talks have been divided into five main sections, including discussions on a political framework and the opening of Sanaa airport for aid.
The talks opened Thursday on an upbeat note, with the warring sides agreeing to a broad prisoner swap, boosting hopes that the talks would not deteriorate into further violence as in the past.
UN officials have sought to downplay expectations from the talks, saying they don’t foresee rapid progress toward a political settlement.