Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has backed India's candidature for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, while calling for greater representation of Asia, Africa and Latin America in the powerful UN body.
Addressing the UN General Assembly on Saturday, Lavrov specifically endorsed the bids of India and Brazil for permanent membership.
“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,” Lavrov said.
Moscow's position comes amid renewed calls at the 81st UN General Assembly for reform of the Security Council, whose present structure dates back to the post-World War II order. Russia has consistently argued that developing countries, particularly those from the Global South, are under-represented in the Council.
Moscow opposes additional Western permanent seats
While backing India and Brazil, Lavrov opposed expanding permanent membership to additional Western countries, specifically naming Germany and Japan.
“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, according to ANI.
Russia has argued that the West already has substantial representation in the Council and that any expansion should instead address the under-representation of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
In remarks earlier this month, Lavrov said Russia supported India's and Brazil's candidatures while arguing that the interests of African countries must also be addressed as part of any reform process.
The five current permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Each has veto power, while 10 other members are elected for two-year terms.
Any amendment to the UN Charter to change the Council's composition requires approval by a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly and ratification by two-thirds of UN member states, including the concurrence of all five permanent members.
India receives support from G4 partners and other countries
India's bid has received fresh backing from several countries during the current UN General Assembly session.
Mauritius explicitly supported New Delhi's candidature. Mauritian foreign minister Dhananjay Ramful said his country backed the positions of the G4 and L69 groupings on Security Council reform and reiterated its support for India to receive a permanent seat in recognition of its role in global affairs.
Portugal also called for a more representative Security Council and backed permanent representation for Africa, Brazil and India.
Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine expressed support for Japan and its G4 partners in their efforts to secure permanent membership. The G4 comprises India, Brazil, Germany and Japan.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi did not name individual G4 candidates in her UN address but called for urgent reform of the Security Council so that its structure reflects current international realities.
The latest endorsements follow support from the four Visegrád Group countries, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, for India's permanent membership bid earlier during the UN General Assembly session.
BRICS also backs a greater role for India
The latest Russian endorsement also follows the BRICS summit in New Delhi earlier this month.
The New Delhi Declaration said China and Russia, both permanent members of the Security Council, reiterated their support for the aspirations of Brazil and India to play a greater role in the United Nations, including its Security Council.
The declaration also called for Security Council reform that would amplify the voice of the Global South and recognised the aspirations of African countries under the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration.
Russia's latest position is therefore consistent with its recent BRICS stance, although Moscow has simultaneously opposed adding further Western countries to the permanent membership.
Reform debate centres on changing the Council's structure
The Security Council currently has 15 members, five permanent and 10 elected. The five permanent members have held their positions since the Council was established in 1945.
India, Brazil, Germany and Japan have jointly campaigned as the G4 for permanent membership, while African countries have separately pressed for permanent representation and have articulated their position through the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration.
The reform process remains complex because any change to the Council requires not only broad support in the General Assembly but also ratification by the required number of UN member states and agreement from all five existing permanent members.
The renewed calls at this year's General Assembly reflect a wider argument that the Council's composition should better correspond to contemporary geopolitical and economic realities. Russia's endorsement adds to the growing list of countries publicly supporting India's long-standing demand for a permanent seat.