Russia on Saturday backed India's candidature for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, while opposing the allocation of additional permanent seats to Western countries such as Germany and Japan.
Speaking during the general debate of the UN General Assembly in New York, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said any reform of the Security Council should preserve the prerogatives of its permanent members and give greater representation to Asia, Africa and Latin America.
“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,” Lavrov said.
Moscow supports the candidatures of India and Brazil for permanent membership, he said, adding that the interests of the African continent should also be addressed.
The Russian endorsement came as several countries voiced support for reform of the Security Council and greater representation for developing regions during the ongoing UN General Assembly session.
Mauritius explicitly backed India's candidature. Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful said his country supported the positions of the G4 and L69 groups on Security Council reform and reiterated its support for India becoming a permanent member “commensurate with its constructive role in global affairs.”
Portugal also called for a more representative Security Council, with Prime Minister Luis Montenegro advocating permanent representation for Africa, Brazil and India.
The issue of Security Council reform has gained renewed attention as member states seek to make the 15-member body more representative of contemporary geopolitical realities. More than 100 world leaders had referred to the need for reform during the previous UN General Assembly high-level week, according to the UN.
The G4 grouping of India, Brazil, Germany and Japan has campaigned for permanent membership of the Council. Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine reiterated support for Japan and its G4 partners during her address to the General Assembly.
Japan, meanwhile, called for an early restructuring of the Council. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the body should be transformed into a structure that reflected the “current realities of the international community” and called for expansion in both the permanent and non-permanent categories.
Several African leaders also pressed for greater representation. Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio said the Security Council continued to reflect the world of 1945 and pointed out that Africa had no permanent seat despite being home to more than 1.6 billion people.
Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama said reform was necessary to strengthen the legitimacy and credibility of the United Nations.
The Security Council currently has five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States — and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. Under the UN Charter, changes to the Council's composition require approval by a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly and ratification by two-thirds of UN member states, including all five permanent members.
(With inputs from ANI)