ADEN, Yemen, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi-backed Yemeni government began indirect reconciliation talks with representatives of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Saudi Arabia's city of Jeddah on Wednesday, a government official told Xinhua.
The government source based in Saudi Arabia's capital of Riyadh confirmed on condition of anonymity that "the negotiating teams representing the two warring sides have just engaged in indirect talks in Jeddah."
He said that Yemen's government strongly refused to sit in face-to-face talks with the STC officials in Jeddah, but preferred indirect negotiations.
Officials of Saudi government are working as mediators between the two warring sides during the first round of the ongoing talks in Jeddah, according to the official.
Earlier in the day, United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said on Twitter that "we look forward with confidence and optimism to the success of the Jeddah meeting between the brotherly government of Yemen and the STC in uniting the ranks against Houthi coup."
A source of the Aden-based STC told Xinhua by phone that "the talks will mainly concentrate on de-escalating the tense military situation in Aden and neighboring southern provinces only."
He expected that the first round of Jeddah's talks may not succeed to achieve a comprehensive solution for the rifts between the two warring rivals in southern Yemen.
"More sensitive issues like the management of state institutions in Aden and forming a new power-sharing government will be discussed in next rounds of talks," the source added.
On Tuesday, a delegation of the STC arrived in Jeddah to participate in reconciliation talks with the officials of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.
"President of STC Aidarous Zubaidi along with a number of southern politicians arrived in Jeddah in response to Saudi Arabia's official invitation," an official of the STC said on condition of anonymity.
On Aug. 11, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry called on Yemen's government and leadership of the Aden-based STC to engage in direct talks to solve the issues peacefully away from violence.
The Saudi calls came after military units of the STC seized the strategic southern city of Aden along with all the government's military bases following days of street fighting.
The STC is a part of the Saudi-led Arab coalition to fight Iran-backed Houthi militias in northern Yemen in a war that has rekindled old strains between the north and south of Yemen.
The impoverished Arab country has been locked in a civil war since late 2014, when the Houthis overran much of the country and seized all northern provinces including the capital Sanaa.
