Commenting on the situation in Yemen, Lavrov said the situation there has become more complicated after former President Ali Abdullah Saleh was assassinated.

:: Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Moscow rejects any schemes to topple the Syrian regime.

Commenting on developments in Syria, he noted that Russia called for restraint and for respecting Syria’s sovereignty after Turkey launched its military operation in Afrin, north of Syria.

During a press conference with his Yemeni counterpart Abdulmalik Al-Mekhlafi in Russia, Lavrov added that Moscow knows that the US is continuing to provide arms to fighting groups in Syria, both secretly and publicly, adding that it also provided advanced weapons to “Kurdish militia” and it continues to nurture the Kurds’ separatist orientations.

He slammed these practices as a flagrant violation of Syria’s sovereignty and added that Washington has great influence in preventing the Kurds from engaging in a serious dialogue with the Assad regime.

“Moscow rejects schemes to topple the Syrian regime,” he also said, adding that the Kurds are invited to attend the Syrian dialogue conference in Sochi.

How Houthis caused Yemen’s war

Commenting on the situation in Yemen, Lavrov said the situation there has become more complicated after former President Ali Abdullah Saleh was assassinated, adding that the Houthis’ murder of Saleh was “a hideous crime.”

He added that there was no alternative to a unifying Yemeni dialogue.

Meanwhile, Mekhlafi slammed the Houthis “who imposed the war on Yemen” via the coup and their occupation of cities.

He added that the Houthis pushed this war on Yemen when they began their coup and started taking over the cities and governorates of Yemen.

He said that the Houthi militia has not proved that they are a peaceful side which is evident with their daily activity in Yemen, more importantly, the murder of ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh and firing ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabia.

Mekhlafi added that Yemen accepts the UN as a mediator to resolve the Yemeni crisis noting that Russia also has a very efficient role as it’s a permanent member of the UN Security Council and has good relations with Yemen.