Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at the UN Security Council Meeting on Yemen
Mr. President,
We thank Special Envoy Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General Mark Lowcock, and Executive Director of the WFP David Beasley for a comprehensive review of military, political and humanitarian situation in the Republic of Yemen.
We support the mediator efforts of Mr. Griffiths and Lieutenant General M.Lollesgaard who work to steer the parties to the Yemeni conflict at understanding futility of a forceful solution. We are convinced: implementation of the Stockholm Agreements is possible. In this regard, we welcome progress that the sides achieved at the joint session of the Redeployment Coordination Committee under Lieutenant General M.Lollesgaard, in particular regarding development of confidence-building measures.
Once the redeployment of armed forces from the ports of Hodeidah, Saleef and Ras Isa is completed, it will become possible to bring other aspects of Stockholm Agreements out of the stalemate, including prisoner exchange and de-escalation in Taiz, and to start discussions of framework settlement parameters.
We have all voted in support of extending the mandate of UNMHA. We are convinced that further deployment of international presence will facilitate the disengagement of the opposing sides in the city, and promote stabilization of the overall situation in Yemen. However, we should not expect instantaneous results – the main body of work lies ahead. Russia will set forth its assistance to the UN mediation in Yemen both in its national capacity and as a member of the Security Council P5.
Mr. Lowcock and Mr.Beasley have painted a discouraging picture of the situation in the Republic of Yemen, which lives through the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. This crisis has a structured nature. It has inflicted irrevocable damage on the population, economy and civil infrastructure of Yemen. Millions of Yemenis are starving, have no access to the required medical services and supplies, and are in a dire need of assistance of various types. A cholera epidemic has surged the country. The situation is deteriorating day-to-day and is now approaching the point of no return. Humanitarian assistance to Yemen should be a priority track of our work. Aid to the population on Yemen should be provided on a non-discriminatory basis – no matter who be in control of populated areas.
Once again, we call for a universal ceasefire, ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access to all regions of the country, and unconditional compliance with provisions of the international humanitarian law. All participants of the Yemeni conflict must stop launching indiscriminate strikes against civil facilities, abandon aggressive, provocative rhetoric, and stay reserved.
Mr. President,
In conclusion, we would like to remind of Security Council resolution 598 that tasked the Secretary-General to develop architecture of security and confidence in the region in collaboration with the regional States. Such architecture that should bring together all the major States of the region – Gulf countries and Iran – would strengthen all-encompassing and indivisible security in this part of the globe, and help solve the old and the new crisis situations, including the conflict in Yemen.
In this regard, our proposal to start development of a package of confidence- and security-building measures for the Persian Gulf (and prospectively for the entire Middle East) remains demanded and up-to-date. Such a comprehensive formula would help replace threats and confrontation with dialogue and cooperation. It would also improve the general environment that would constitute an important contribution to the success at the Yemeni track that has been achieved under the UN auspices.
Thank you.
