At UN, Russia backs India's bid for permanent Security Council seat

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov endorsed India's bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) during his speech at the UN General Assembly. Lavrov expressed Russia's support for expanding representation in the Council, specifically for Asia, Africa, and Latin America. He emphasized that any reform should preserve the prerogatives of permanent members and avoid granting additional seats to Western nations, particularly Germany and Japan which are moving towards militarism and revanchism.

The current permanent members of the UNSC are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, all possessing veto powers. Additionally, Lavrov called for greater representation of the Global South, especially Africa, as part of broader UN reform. The BRICS nations, including Russia, had earlier expressed their backing for Brazil and India's aspirations to have a more significant role in the UN, including the Security Council.

Mauritius and Portugal also endorsed India's candidature for a permanent seat on the UNSC. The G4 alliance, comprising Japan, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, along with the Marshall Islands, received support for their call to achieve permanent membership on the UNSC. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi emphasized the need for urgent reform of the Council to better reflect the current realities of the international community.