New York, Sept. 26 -- In a strong endorsement at the United Nations General Assembly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov backed India's candidacy for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, while strongly cautioning against expanding Western representation.

Addressing world leaders at the UNGA, Lavrov emphasised that any reform of the UN Security Council must not dilute the prerogatives of the Council and its permanent members. Outlining Moscow's principled stance, he asserted that reforms should avoid allocating additional seats to Western nations.

"UN Security Council reform cannot involve any additional seats being allocated to Western countries, especially to Germany and Japan, who are now on the path to militarism and reva...