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A relative of a Houthi delegation member participating in the negotiations in Sweden carries a bag at Sanaa airport, Yemen. Image Credit: Reuters
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Stockholm: An Al Houthi delegation arrived in Sweden Tuesday, accompanied by a UN peace envoy, for high-stakes talks with the government aimed at ending the country’s war.

The Al Houthis arrived on a Kuwaiti plane from Sanaa following a prisoner swap deal and the evacuation of 50 wounded insurgents for treatment in Oman in a major boost to peace efforts.

The United States hailed the announcement of peace talks in Sweden as a “necessary and vital first step” and called on all parties to “cease any ongoing hostilities.”

The Al Houthi delegation for the first peace talks since 2016 was accompanied by UN envoy Martin Griffiths. A government team, headed by Foreign Minister Khaled Al Yamani, is expected in Sweden Wednesday.

Although no date has been announced for the start of the negotiations, Yemeni government sources say they could begin on Thursday.