Russia backs India's bid for permanent membership on UN Security Council

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced Tuesday that Moscow supports India's bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

Lavrov said India needs near-unanimous support from the UN General Assembly to secure a permanent Security Council membership.

"The process is challenging and the dialogue on expanding permanent membership has been ongoing for a long time. However, our support for India's candidacy, as well as Brazil and the African group, remains steadfast," he said at a news conference in Moscow regarding Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Russia.

Lavrov expressed opposition to adding Western countries to the UN governing body because they are "overrepresented."

"No additional permanent or non-permanent seats should be provided to the West, as they are already too strongly represented in this key organization," he said.

Lavrov highlighted the affirmation of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s, Modi’s and their countries' commitment to a "particularly privileged strategic partnership," noting that specific tasks for its promotion were outlined during talks at the highest level.

"Today's talks covered bilateral tasks set by the president and prime minister, as well as an exchange of views on the international situation, especially in the context of Russia's presidency of the BRICS economic bloc," he noted.

Lavrov announced that Modi accepted Russia's invitation to participate in the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan, scheduled for Oct. 22 - 24.

Russia and India prioritize the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Group of Twenty (G20) as key international formats, added Lavrov.

Putin awarded Modi earlier with Russia's highest state honor, the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, for his contributions to the development of relations between the two nations.