Putin pledges Russian support for Yemen’s ongoing peace talks

Yemen’s President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi meets with Russian leader Vladimir Putin Yemen’s President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, to discuss Yemen’s ongoing political transition, which has been marred by violence in recent weeks. The news follows waves of protests held in the south of the country by southern separatists, who are calling for the return of the independent state of South Yemen.
Formed in 1967, the communist state of South Yemen eventually merged with North Yemen in 1990 after the collapse of its main ally, the Soviet Union.
Yemen has struggled to restore normality since President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was elected in February 2012 following nearly a year of Arab Spring-style protests that forced his predecessor Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down after 33 years in power.
The country is currently holding UN- backed peace talks in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. The National Dialogue Conference (NDC), which began on March 20 and is expected to go on for the next six months andinvolves some 565 representatives of the country’s political parties, who are currently working on drafting a new constitution, preparing proposals on government decentralisation, and discussing the formation of a potential coalition government.
However, the event has been marred by violence with many southern separatist groups warning political parties against participating in the talks.
During a meeting held in Moscow, President Putin urged Yemen to find a “peaceful resolution” to the ongoing unrest, “to ensure the security and development of Yemen.”
President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi began his official trip to Moscow on Monday, saying the visit is intended to secure “political and military help so that the NDC can succeed in providing a transitional process for Yemen.”
Meanwhile, at the NDC in Sanaa on Tuesday, officials have confirmed the formation of nine separate commissions, tasked with assessing various issues such as establishing electoral laws, re-evaluating the country’s justice system and how to form a coalition government.
In addition, reports have emerged that Yemen’s Defence Minister Mohammed Nasser Ahmed met with US and Jordan officials on Tuesday, to discuss ways of restructuring the country’s armed forces.