A delegation of representatives of the General national Congress, headed by assistant Secretary-General Abu Bakr al-Qirbi visited Moscow on 9 February. Recall that this party was defeated in the confrontation with the Houthis, along with ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who heads the party.
It is reported that the delegation met with Deputy Minister of foreign Affairs of Russia Mikhail Bogdanov. Moscow demanded to stop the war in Yemen and aim for the resumption of negotiations.
This meeting took place two months after the visit, the Houthi delegation to Moscow. It also coincided with the battles that lead the legitimate government with the support of the Arab Alliance for control over the Western coast of Yemen to guarantee the safety of international navigation.
A desperate attempt
The head of the Center of research and development, Abdul Salam Mohammed, said the Chairman of the losing party Saleh in Moscow confirms the failure of this team. They are trying to draw the Russians into the conflict, so that they provide the pressure to resume negotiations. They themselves are trying to confuse the real situation in the military issue.
In his comments he notes that the Russians want to play only a limited role in the Yemeni conflict to put pressure on the Gulf States, Americans and any future talks on Syria.
Mohammed stressed the need for decisive military action on the West coast, as the appearance of any new variables you may change the prevailing balance of forces.
The position of the Houthis
Moscow supported the participants of the coup for some items, such as the requirement to establish a no-fly zone to reduce casualties among the civilian population. The opposition urges Houthi militia coup and to cooperate with the UN special envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Sheikh and condemns the refusal of the Houthis to sign the UN documents if they are signed by the legal government.
Also in Sana’a continues to work with the Iranian Embassy, which is under the control of the putschists. The official representatives met with leaders of Houthis militia, and with supporters of the ousted regime.
Despite the lack of serious interest from Russia in Yemen because of its geographical remoteness, it is possible to control the Strait of Bab El-Mandeb can exert significant pressure on Saudi Arabia, through the threat of Maritime navigation in the Strait. This can lead to an increase in oil prices, which, of course, into the hands of Moscow. Indeed, in 2014 she suffered from falling prices on black gold, when Riyadh refused to cut production. Then continued the rivalry between the two States in Asian markets.
The question of legitimacy
Despite the attempts of the coup participants to engage Russia in Yemen, it carries a lot of obstacles, one of which is Saudi Arabia. The most powerful player in the region aims to win the Russian bear. The new administration Donald Trapm intends to reduce the influence of Iran. However, there remains a real risk of Moscow’s interference in Yemen, especially in light of the situation in Syria.
Official diplomatic relations between Russia and Yemen were established in 1928. Now the official government of Yemen expressed its readiness to fulfill the resolution 2216 (adopted 14 April 2015 the Security Council (on the cessation of violence in Yemen and the strengthening of sanctions imposed by resolution 2104 (2014) — approx. TRANS.). Recently, the Russian Ambassador to Yemen Vladimir Dedushkin the official congratulated the government with victories in Moss (port on the West coast of Yemen — approx. TRANS.).
