Russia urges warring sides in Yemen to put down weapons

Russia on Monday called on conflicting sides in Yemen to set their differences aside and to stop the violence, which is putting the country on the brink of an armed conflict. The only exit out of the Yemeni crisis is for dialogue to commence between authorities and the opposition, in the midst of the tasking of the President Ali Abdullah Saleh to his deputy, in order to handle the issue of transferring of authority according to the Gulf-state thought up initiative, a Russian Foreign Ministry statement said. The economic situation in Yemen is much being affected by the continuation of the political crisis, which is reflecting on the country''s ability to provide electrical power to its people, along with food and medicine, the statement warned.