UN Secretary-General to meet Yemen talks delegates in Sweden Thursday

NEW YORK, Dec. 12 (YPA) – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is due to attend on Thursday’s closing round of Yemen peace consultations being hosted by Sweden between the national delegation and Saudi-backed delegation.

Guterres will hold meetings with the two delegations, and will deliver a speech at the conclusion of this round of negotiations, according to a statement issued by UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq.

A diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the UN Secretary-General’s visit aims to “encourage the continuation of negotiations” which could be resumed next month in a place to be determined later, possibly in the Middle East.

The consultations which began last Thursday and run by UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffith, discuss six files: the release of prisoners, the fighting in Hodeidah, the Central Bank, the siege of Taiz city, the delivery of humanitarian aid to affected people and the closed Sanaa Airport.

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