Russia and other countries support India’s bid for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, Lavrov opposes additional seats for Western countries | Today’s news
At the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov strongly supported India, endorsing New Delhi’s bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC) while warning against expanding Western representation.
Lavrov told world leaders at the UN General Assembly on Saturday (local time) that any changes to the UN Security Council must preserve the existing powers of the Council and its permanent members. He further made clear Moscow’s position that the reform should not lead to the awarding of additional seats to Western countries, news agency ANI reported.
Russia and other countries support India’s candidacy for the UNSC
He advocated for an inclusive and geographically balanced global architecture and extended strong support for expanding representation from the Global South. Lavrov noted: “We are in favor of expanding the representation of Asia, Africa and Latin America. We support the candidacy of Brazil and India for a permanent seat,” adding: “And at the same time, I would like to emphasize this: we must satisfy the interests of the African continent in accordance with the Israeli consensus and the SEAT declaration.”
Several other countries supported New Delhi’s offer during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, while demanding changes in the Council to better reflect current geopolitical and economic realities. Among the countries that backed India’s bid was Mauritius, with Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful siding with New Delhi, saying “We support the G4 and L69 positions on Council reform and reiterate our support for India’s bid for a permanent seat commensurate with its constructive role in global affairs.”
New Delhi also received indirect support through the four-member G4 grouping. Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine expressed support for the alliance, saying: “The Marshall Islands reaffirms its long-standing support for Japan and its G4 partners to achieve permanent membership of the UN Security Council.
Countries are calling for structural reform in the UN Security Council
Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro has called for structural reform and pushed for a more representative Council that would have permanent representation for countries such as India, Brazil and Africa.
Although Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi did not name individual candidates from the G4 in her speech, she placed the burden on reform. Urgent on structural changes, she noted: “We must without delay transform it into a structure that truly reflects the current reality of the international community.”
Russia is against allocating more seats to Western countries
Lavrov opposed the allocation of additional seats to Western countries, saying: “The reform of the UN Security Council cannot include the allocation of additional seats to Western countries, especially Germany and Japan, which are now on the road to militarism and revanchism.”
