Russian FM criticizes French proposal to limit UNSC veto power

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has voiced his irritation over France's proposal to limit veto power in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

In an interview with Russian media prior to the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, Lavrov condemned the suggestion as both cynical and hypocritical, Caliber.Az reports.

“Against this background, other permanent members of the Security Council — Britain, France, the United States — are taking such an ambivalent position,” he remarked. “Britain and France, in principle, are playing along with those who want to force the process. At the same time, the French are throwing in the idea of the need to limit the veto right. You see, I say it's cynical, but it just shows that the hypocrisy of the French, even in this situation, is manifest, just to make some step that will make Paris stand out with another external effect.”

Lavrov further elaborated on the proposal, saying, “And they say, ‘Well, it will be a voluntary restriction.’ When asked, ‘How do you envisage it?’, they say, ‘Well, it is necessary in cases where we are talking about genocide, about mass violations of human rights, that the permanent members voluntarily refrain from using veto when considering relevant situations.’ You know, it is very sad that we have to consider this situation cynically, but we asked the French at the time: ‘In order to understand when to waive the right of veto: genocide, mass violation of human rights — how many victims? 100, or starting from 100? And [if the victims are] 99 — can the veto be used?’”

In addition, he reiterated Russia's stance against expanding the Security Council to include new permanent members, particularly Germany and Japan. “Our position is very simple: the Security Council does not need additional members from the Western group, from members of NATO, the European Union and their allies, which, in particular, is Japan,” Lavrov stated. “Joining the Security Council with additional Western participants, in this case, those who are raring to join it — Germany and Japan — would simply expand and strengthen, deepen the injustice.”

By Tamilla Hasanova