MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th February, 2020) The resolution on the sanctions against Yemen proposed by the United Kingdom and adopted by the UN Security Council on Tuesday does not take into account Russia's concerns, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation Vassily Nebenzia said.
Thirteen members of the council have voted in favor of the resolution, with Russia and China abstaining. According to the resolution, the Security Council will extend the measures adopted in 2014 until February 26, 2021, including the freeze of financial assets.
"The Russian Federation did not support the draft resolution proposed by the United Kingdom extending sanctions and the mandate of the Panel of Experts on Yemen established pursuant to SC resolution 2140, because not all of our concerns were taken into account," Nebenzia said as quoted by Russia's Permanent Mission to the United Nations.
He noted that the council should focus on joint efforts to find ways to settle the conflict in Yemen.
"The aim of the resolution was to extend the sanctions regime and the mandate of the Panel of Experts, rather than to compete in promoting their approaches that go beyond the objectives of the resolution," Nebenzia said.
Yemen has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the government forces, led by President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi, and the rebel Houthi movement for several years now.
In November 2014, the Security Council 2140 Sanctions Committee sanctioned two Houthi commanders as well as former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
