Envoys from the two warring Yemens were in Moscow on Wednesday to put their cases before Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev. "Certainly, each of the Yemeni parties would like to guarantee Russia's support for itself since Russia is a permanent member of the UN Security Council," Foreign Ministry official Viktor Gotidze was quoted as saying. The Security Council is considering a plan aimed at ending the 2-month civil war between north and south Yemen. The plan includes a cease-fire, observers and resumed negotiations. Gotidze said Russia supports an immediate cease-fire, after which the two sides must work out for themselves what kind of political structure they will have. The war, which follows months of escalating political conflict, ended the four-year union of conservative north and socialist south. Itar-Tass said Kozyrev met first with north Yemen's foreign minister, Muhammed Basindwah. He was to meet later with the south's envoy, Salim Muhammad, Interfax said. The meetings are indicative of Russia's attempt to recoup lost influence in the Middle East, where the Soviet Union was a major player. South Yemen was one of Moscow's many client states and had a Soviet-trained army.
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