Guwahati: Russia has backed India’s candidature for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) while opposing the addition of further Western countries, particularly Germany and Japan, to the permanent membership.

Speaking during the general debate of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York on September 26, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said any reform of the Security Council should provide greater representation to Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Lavrov said Moscow supports the permanent membership bids of India and Brazil, while also calling for the interests of African countries to be addressed in any future reform of the Council.

The Russian position comes amid renewed discussions among UN member states over restructuring the 15-member Security Council to better reflect current geopolitical realities. The issue has gained prominence during the ongoing General Assembly session, with several countries calling for broader regional representation.

Mauritius also reiterated its support for India’s candidature. Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful said his country backed the positions of the G4 and L69 groups on Security Council reform and supported India’s permanent membership in recognition of what he described as its constructive role in global affairs.

Portugal has likewise called for a more representative Security Council, with Prime Minister Luis Montenegro supporting permanent representation for Africa, Brazil and India.

The G4-India, Brazil, Germany and Japan has been jointly campaigning for Security Council reform and expansion in both the permanent and non-permanent categories. The four countries recently reiterated their call for early reform and greater representation for underrepresented regions.

Japan has separately called for an early restructuring of the Council, including expansion of both categories of membership. African leaders have also renewed demands for permanent representation, pointing to the continent’s absence from the Council’s permanent membership despite its large population.

The Security Council currently consists of 15 members: five permanent members-China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.

Any amendment to the Council’s composition requires approval by a two-thirds majority of the UN General Assembly and ratification by two-thirds of UN member states, including all five permanent members.