UN resolution on Yemen should reflect real situation, Russia says

MOSCOW, October 5 (RIA Novosti)

Any UN resolution on Yemen should reflect the actual situation in that country, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Wednesday.

"It should encourage the government and the protesters to stop confrontation and begin dialogue," he said, adding that the UN Security Council is not currently discussing the possibility of sanctions.

On Monday, France called on the UN to closely monitor the situation in Yemen and make a strong statement on any outbreak of violence there.

Mass anti-government rallies have been going on since February in Yemen. Demonstrators have demanded reforms and the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has led the country for more than 30 years. Washington has urged the Yemeni president to yield to the opposition's demands.

Negotiations between the government and the opposition on a plan presented by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) broke down in the middle of September.

According to the plan, Saleh would leave office within 30 days after signing an agreement and handing power to the vice president in exchange for immunity from prosecution for him and members of his family.