Russia reaffirms support to India’s bid for UNSC seat

Russia has reiterated its support for India’s bid to become a permanent member of a reformed United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement detailing the outcomes of recent talks on UN-related issues.

According to the MEA, the two sides held the 13th meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on counter-terrorism cooperation and the sixth round of consultations on UN-related issues in Moscow on December 19 and 20.

The meetings were co-chaired by Tanmaya Lal, Secretary (West), MEA, and Sergey Vershinin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, with representatives from respective departments and agencies also in attendance.

During the consultations, both sides exchanged views on regional and global developments as well as UNSC-related issues, including its reform. “Russia reiterated its support for India as a permanent member of a reformed UN Security Council,” the MEA said in its statement.

Russia, along with the US, the UK, France and China, is a permanent member of the UNSC with veto power. Russia has consistently backed India’s bid for permanent membership. In October last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly endorsed India’s candidature, and in September this year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated the support during the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

India’s bid for a permanent UNSC seat also enjoys strong backing from the US. Following a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden in September, the White House stated, “President Biden shared with Prime Minister Modi that the US supports initiatives to reform global institutions to reflect India’s important voice, including permanent membership for India in a reformed UNSC.”

French President Emmanuel Macron has also strongly advocated for India’s inclusion as a permanent member of a reformed UNSC, voicing his support at the UNGA.