Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov toured Egypt and Jordan from April 5 to 7. Lavrov raised the issue of the war in Yemen and its reconciliation process, among other issues, with Egyptian colleagues. At a press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Lavrov reiterated Russia’s support for the Stockholm agreement on Yemen.
“In general, the cease-fire is observed, although it has been broken several times," Lavrov said. "The sides accuse each other of initiating violence. Moreover, the sides have failed to separate forces in the Hodeidah region. However, we expect the UN mission formed specifically for the resolution in Hodeidah, as well as the UN special envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths, to continue their work. As with any other conflict, here the only way to achieve peace is for the Yemenis themselves to find an agreement. Any external party able to influence various local groups should encourage them to negotiate instead of provoking violence.”