Russia opposes removing permanent UN Security Council members, Lavrov says

YEKATERINBURG, September 16. /TASS/. Russia does not support removing any of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, despite the fact that Great Britain’s global stature has "diminished and shrunk to the utmost," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the International Festival of Youth.

According to Lavrov, the current composition of the UN Security Council no longer fully reflects today’s geopolitical realities.

"I do not know what will become of the country called Great Britain. The Celts there are currently considering holding a referendum and are preparing for it. But we are not in favor of expelling anyone from the ranks of the Security Council’s permanent members. Although, of course, the scale of the British Empire - as it existed when Britain joined the Security Council in the year the UN was founded - has certainly diminished and shrunk to the utmost," Lavrov said.

At the same time, he argued that Western countries are already "overrepresented" on the Security Council.

The International Youth Festival is taking place in Yekaterinburg from September 11 to 17 under the motto Follow Your Dream. It is expected to draw 10,000 young leaders from 191 countries: 5,000 from Russia and 5,000 from abroad. The program will also involve 1,000 teenagers aged 14 to 17.