New Delhi: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov backed India for becoming a permanent member of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, during his address at the 77th United Nations General Assembly.
According to news agency ANI, Lavrov said, "We see prospective of making Security Council more democratic via representation of countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America. India and Brazil, in particular, are key international actors and should be counted for permanent membership in the council."
Earlier, India along with 31 other countries in a joint statement, said it is indispensable to expand the Security Council in both permanent and non-permanent categories, as well as reform its working methods, to make the body more representative, legitimate and effective, delegations reiterated.
Before his address to the UN General Debate, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar had a bilateral meeting with Lavrov on the margins of the high-level session. Ahead of his address, S. Jaishankar said he had discussions with his counterpart Sergey Lavrov focused on "bilateral cooperation" as well as the conflict in Ukraine.
"We discussed several issues. Some part of my meeting was focused on our bilateral cooperation because Russia is a major partner in many domains," Jaishankar said, as per PTI.
"A wide-ranging conversation with FM Sergey Lavrov at UNGA 77. Discussed our bilateral cooperation. Exchanged views on Ukraine, G-20 and UN reforms," Jaishankar had tweeted.
Answering a question, the EAM said, while there are big issues, which focus on both the Russians and the rest of the world, the relationship between Russia and India has to address its requirements, processes, and objectives.
"We spend some time on the bilateral side, where things are, taking stock," he said, adding that they also spoke in "some detail" about issues related to Ukraine.
"A lot of it was he briefed me about various developments from the Russian perspective. I also shared with him what I picked up from some of the others. So that was a back and forth conversation," he said, according to PTI.
India will begin its G-20 presidency in December, so there was discussion regarding the same and Russia is at the centre of the debate where G-20 is concerned.
"Russia is very much at the centre of debate where G-20 is concerned. And finally, we spoke about the UN reform," Jaishankar said, as quoted by PTI.
The meeting in New York is the fourth between Jaishankar and Lavrov this year, including the one on the sidelines of the G-20 foreign ministers’ conclave in the Indonesian city of Bali and when Lavrov was in New Delhi earlier this year.
(With agency inputs)