Aden (South24) 

A high-ranking Russian delegation, led by Alexander Kinshchak, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, arrived in the capital Aden on Tuesday to discuss the resumption of the Russian embassy's operations and other key issues.

The delegation met with Ali Al-Kathiri, Speaker of the Southern National Assembly of the Southern Transitional Council (STC). The two sides held an extended session to discuss arrangements for reopening the consulate and resuming the work of the Russian embassy in Aden.

Al-Kathiri expressed the STC's readiness to provide the necessary security, logistical, and technical support to enable the Russian consular and diplomatic mission to carry out its tasks, according to an official statement.

Discussions between the two sides also covered the situation in the Red Sea, with the Southern official stressing that talking about a peace process amid ongoing Houthi attacks on international navigation is “illogical and unrealistic.”

Al-Kathiri highlighted the Southern forces’ achievements in counterterrorism and emphasized the importance of supporting these efforts. He urged Russia to intervene in vital sectors of the country, including electricity and energy.

Today, the Russian delegation met with Rashad Al-Alimi, Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, and Prime Minister Ahmed bin Mubarak.

According to the official Saba news agency, discussions between the Russian delegation and Al-Alimi focused on resuming the Russian embassy’s operations from Aden and reviving the work of the joint ministerial committees.

“The meeting addressed the latest developments in the Yemeni situation, and the mediation efforts led by the brothers in Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman, to reduce the escalation and initiate a comprehensive political process under UN auspices,” Saba reported.

Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed bin Mubarak expressed the government's gratitutde for Russia's support as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, backing Yemen’s constitutional legitimacy and its people.

Bin Mubarak outlined opportunities for enhanced cooperation with Russia in sectors such as electricity, oil, agriculture, and economic and administrative reforms implemented by the Yemeni government.

If the Russian embassy resumes operations from Aden, it will likely become the first international embassy to do so in Yemen since the outbreak of the war. All embassies in Sanaa were closed after the Houthis seized control of the city.

The Southern security forces, affiliated with the STC, have been credited with securing delegations and diplomatic missions visiting Aden, following years of war and terrorism that ravaged the city.