A Houthi delegation, accompanied by the United Nations envoy to Yemen, arrived in Sweden late on Tuesday to take part in peace talks, a UN representative told The National.
Martin Griffiths and the rebel team left Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Tuesday afternoon in a Kuwaiti-chartered plane, accompanied by the country's ambassador to Yemen.
“The Houthi delegation, along with Mr Griffiths, have officially arrived on Tuesday night to Sweden. Rebel spokesman, Mohammad Abdul Salam, arrived in the afternoon from Oman. [T]he remaining delegates are expected to travel to Stockholm from Muscat on Wednesday,” the representative said.
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The arrival was confirmed by Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom on Twitter.
The development came one day after 50 wounded Houthi fighters were allowed to fly to Oman for treatment as part of a series of confidence-building measures.
A delegation from Yemen's internationally recognised government is expected to arrive in Sweden on Wednesday, a Yemeni official told The National.
The 12 officials will be headed by Foreign Minister Khaled Al Yamani, and will hope to negotiate an end to Yemen’s deteriorating humanitarian situation.
Other prominent officials attending will be Abdullah Al Alimi, head of President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi’s office; Abdulaziz Jabari, an adviser to Mr Hadi; Yassin Makkawi, another Hadi adviser and a leader of Yemen’s Southern Movement
The Yemeni government previously said it would wait for the Houthi delegation to leave Sanaa for Sweden before travelling to the peace talks themselves.
Although no official date for the negotiations has been set, government officials say they may begin on either Wednesday or Thursday this week.