STOCKHOLM, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- The two parties of the Yemen conflict have agreed on the exchange of prisoners, according to the latest update by UN envoy Martin Griffiths on Monday of the ongoing Yemen peace talks in Sweden.
Representatives of Yemen Houthi rebels and the government of Yemen have been negotiating in Stockholm since last week. On Monday, the UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths said in a press conference that humanitarian issues have been prioritized in the negotiations.
"Especially the release of prisoners has been in the focus during these last couple of days", Griffiths said.
The question of opening Yemen's capital's airport has also been a part of the negotiations, but no solution has been reached yet. In addition, negotiations regarding the port of Hodeidah and the city of Taiz will continue during the upcoming days.
"We now have an understanding of each other and we will publish more information of what we have achieved in the next few days," Griffiths added.
Peace talks between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels, coordinated by the UN, kickstarted in Sweden last Thursday. The talks, held at Johannesburg Castle, about 60 kilometers north of Stockholm, are expected to last for about a week, depending on the consultation's progress.
"The two parties are engaged in a serious and constructive way in discussing the details of confidence building measures, the reduction of violence, and the framework for negotiations. We hope we will achieve progress during this round of consultations", said Griffiths, commending on Saturday the positive spirit in the talks.
Griffiths also reiterated the importance of continued restraint on the ground and called on the two parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law. "We are working to the background of a very fragile situation in Yemen. We hope that de-escalation will be maintained on different frontlines, to give a chance for progress to be achieved on the political consultations".
