Yemen rival delegations agree on peace talks agenda

Delegations of Yemen's warring parties agreed with each other on agenda of the ongoing UN-sponsored talks, a first notable progress since the negotiations began seven days ago.

Abdel-Malik al-Mikhlafi, head of the government delegation said "today's session winds up with progress."

"We and the Houthi side along with their Saleh ally agreed on the UN-based agenda and signed the agreement to be discussed as of tomorrow (Wednesday)," al-Mikhlafi said in a statement posted on the official news agency Saba.

The progress is confirmed by the heads of Houthi and Saleh's delegations, Mohammed Abdelsalam and Yasser al-Awathi in statements on their groups' media outlets.

The consensual agenda consists of a five-point road map, which is based on the UN Security Council 2216 on Yemen conflict issued last year.

The road map calls on the Houthi group to cede power to the internationally recognized government, disarm and withdraw from cities to establish permanent peace and resume the political process.

During the past days of talks in Kuwait, the Houthis and Saleh's delegates expressed reservations. They want the formation of a new national sharing government before implementing those points.

The Houthi group and pro-Saleh militias stormed the Yemeni capital Sanaa in September 2014, and forced Hadi and his government to exile.

Last March, Hadi's government authorized a Saudi-led coalition to enforce the resolution and bring Sanaa back to the control of the internationally recognized government.

The coalition and the government forces have taken four southern provinces from Houthi and Saleh militias in July last year.

Over the past two months, the coalition-backed government forces have advanced to northeast suburbs of Sanaa, ready to storm the capital once the talks collapse.

The civil war has so far killed over 6,000 Yemenis, mostly civilians, injured around 35,000 and displaced over two million, according to the latest UN statistics.

Source: XINHUA