Russia, other countries back India's bid for permanent seat at UNSC, Lavrov opposes additional seats to Western nations

Russia has backed India's bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, while opposing additional seats for Western countries. Several other nations, including Mauritius and members of the G4, have also supported India's candidacy and called for UNSC reforms.

At the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made a strong endorsement of India, backing New Delhi's candidacy for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC), while also warning against expanding Western representation.

Addressing world leaders at the UNGA, Lavrov on Saturday (local time) said that any changes to the UNSC must preserve the existing powers of the Council and its permanent members. Further, he made Moscow's position clear that the reform should not result in additional seats being given to Western countries, news agency ANI reported.

Russia, other countries back India's candidacy for 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 favour of broadening the representation of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. We support Brazil's and India's candidatures for a permanent seat," and added, "And at the same time, I wish to emphasise this: we must satisfy the interests of the African continent in keeping with the Israeli consensus and the SEAT declaration."

Several other nations backed New Delhi's bid during the 81st UNGA session, while also calling for changes to 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 throwing his weight behind New Delhi and saying, "We support the positions of the G4 and of L69 on Council reform, and we reiterate our support for India's candidature for a permanent seat, commensurate with its constructive role in global affairs.”

New Delhi also received indirect backing through the four-member G4 grouping. Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine expressed support for the alliance, saying, “The Marshall Islands affirms its longstanding support for Japan and its G4 partners to achieve permanent membership on the UN Security Council.”

Countries call for structural reform in UNSC

Calling for structural reform, Portugal's Prime Minister Luis Montenegro advocated for a more representative Council that features permanent representation for countries like India, Brazil, and Africa.

While Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi did not name individual candidates from the G4 in her address, she did put the onus on reform. Urging structural changes, she noted, "We need to transform it without delay into a structure that truly reflects the current realities of the international community.”

Russia opposes allocation of more seats to Western countries

Opposing the allocation of any more seats to Western countries, Lavrov stated, "UN Security Council reform cannot involve any additional seats being allocated to Western countries, especially to Germany and Japan, who are now on the path to militarism and revanchism."

(with ANI inputs)

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