Yemen's internationally-backed President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi (C) meets with the UN special envoy Martin Griffiths (4th L) in Saudi Arabia's capital of Riyadh, on Feb. 12, 2019. Hadi on Tuesday met with Griffiths, emphasizing the importance of fully implementing the Sweden Agreement. (Xinhua)
ADEN, Yemen, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's internationally-backed President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi on Tuesday met with the UN special envoy Martin Griffiths, emphasizing the importance of fully implementing the Sweden Agreement.
In a meeting with Griffiths in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh, Hadi stressed the importance of achieving progress on the peace deal declared in Sweden in December 2018, a government official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The source said Hadi insisted on comprehensive implementation of the Sweden peace deal including full withdrawal of pro-Houthi troops from the strategic port city of Hodeidah before launching a new round of talks.
"Hadi informed Griffiths that engaging in direct talks with the Houthis won't happen before the success of Sweden's agreement that is still not implemented," the official added.
The state-run Saba news agency reported that Yemen's Vice President Ali Mohsen Saleh and Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik attended the meeting with the UN envoy.
Representatives of the two-warring sides participated in two rounds of talks in Amman, Jordan's capital, in an attempt to finalize a prisoner swap deal agreed upon during talks in Sweden, but failed to achieve constructive results.
Earlier in the day, Griffiths left the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa after a one-day visit aimed at convincing the Houthi rebels to allow the opening of humanitarian corridors in Hodeidah, according to local sources.
Griffiths warned that the grain aid stored in the besieged Hodeidah city to feed over 3 million people is "at risk of rotting," asking the rival parties to allow the UN team for urgently access to the mills to deliver the aid to the extremely needy.
He said the food aid has been inaccessible for more than five months and demanded no further delay.
The four-year civil war has pushed over 12 million people to the verge of starvation and created what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
The warring parties reached a peace deal in Stockholm last December. They have largely held the cease-fire deal in Hodeidah but failed to withdraw their forces.
The rebels continue to fortify themselves inside the city while the government troops have been gathering on the southern and eastern outskirts.
