Moscow (South24 Center)

Aidrous Al-Zubaidi, Vice President of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council and President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), held talks in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during which the two sides discussed bilateral relations and efforts to achieve a political settlement in Yemen. The STC President emphasized that any political solution must take into consideration the aspirations and political rights of Southerners.

The talks between Al-Zubaidi and the Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov were held on Tuesday (October 21).

In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Lavrov affirmed the "mutual commitment to continue strengthening the traditional friendly relations between Russia and Yemen and expanding cooperation in trade, economic, and humanitarian fields."

The statement added that the two sides "paid special attention to developments in Yemen and its surroundings, emphasizing the importance of launching a comprehensive national dialogue under UN auspices to reach consensus-based solutions among the conflicting parties."

A statement issued by the Southern Transitional Council noted that the meeting addressed "recent political, economic, humanitarian, and security developments in the country, alongside regional and international efforts to end the conflict and restore stability to the region."

The statement indicated that Al-Zubaidi stressed "the importance of de-escalation as a foundation for any genuine peace process," affirming that "any comprehensive political settlement should consider the aspirations and political rights of Southerners."

In a post on platform X, Al-Zubaidi described the meeting as "positive and fruitful," appreciating Russia’s role in supporting peace efforts in Yemen and the region, and expressing the Yemeni side’s aspiration to enhance the historical relations between the two countries.

The meeting was attended on the Yemeni side by several members of the STC’s Presidium and officials from foreign and security affairs bodies, while the Russian side was represented by Alexander Grushko, Deputy Foreign Minister, Maxim Maksimov, Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Department, and several officials from the Gulf and Middle East Affairs Directorate.

The relationship between the Southern Transitional Council and Russia had experienced a downturn in recent months, following the failure of a previous visit by the Council in March 2023, despite a formal invitation from Moscow. The reasons that prevented the success of the visit at that time remain unclear.

Al-Zubaidi was also absent from a meeting in New York in September that included some leaders of the Presidential Leadership Council with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The current visit to Moscow is seen as a notable step expected to help rebuild communication between the two sides, particularly amid Russia’s announced intention to officially open its embassy in Aden in the near future.