LONDON, Dec. 13 -- British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt on Thursday hailed the progress in the week-long Yemen peace talks, which ended in Sweden earlier in the day, saying it represents "an important step towards ending the conflict" in the Middle Eastern country.
Hunt made the remarks while in Stockholm to attend the UN-led peace talks, during which the Houthi rebel fighters and the government of Yemen have agreed on a partial ceasefire at the port of Hodeidah, Hunt's aides told Xinhua here.
"Today's agreement in Stockholm between the Yemeni government and the Houthis is an important step towards ending the conflict in Yemen -- the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today," the foreign secretary said.
In Stockholm, Hunt met UN special envoy Martin Griffiths and the delegations of both the Yemeni government and the Houthis, including Yemeni Foreign Minister Khalid Al Yemeni and Houthi Spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam.
"Today in Stockholm, I urged both sides to seize this opportunity and reach agreements which can alleviate the dreadful suffering of the Yemeni people and bring us closer to ending this horrific war," Hunt said. "It is now vital that the parties act in good faith and take urgent steps to implement these agreements.
"We have been working with the United Nations to bring the two sides in this terrible conflict together for the first time in years, including through constructive talks with key Saudis and Emiratis during my recent visits, and regular discussions with Oman," he said.
The week-long Yemen peace talks, coordinated by the UN, concluded in Sweden on Thursday, during which constructive progress was made for the upcoming talks.
At a press conference held at Johannesberg Castle north of Stockholm, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres,who joined in on the final day of the Yemen peace talks, said that the Houthi rebel fighters and the government of Yemen have agreed on a partial ceasefire at the port of Hodeidah.
The UN chief voiced hope that this would lead to the opening of humanitarian corridors.
Yemen has been in a civil war since 2017 when the Houthi rebels overtook the capital Sana'a and toppled the government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. A Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the Houthis since 2017.
The war has killed more than 10,000 people and created the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
The ongoing talks tackle a wide range of substantive issues with the aim of putting Yemen back on the path of peace and alleviating the suffering of the Yemeni people.