Russia Ready to Discuss Any 'Reasonable' UNSC Reform - Permanent Mission

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - Russia is ready to discuss any possible reform to the UN Security Council, except for the council's permanent members' veto power abolition, Aleksei Boguslavsky, a representative of the Russian Permanent Mission to the United Nations, said late on Tuesday.

"Russia, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, notes the need to make this body more representative, primarily, via [inviting] developing Asian, African and Latin American states," Boguslavsky said at the UN General Assembly meeting.

He added that Russia was ready to consider "any reasonable option" of the UN Security Council expansion, including a "so-called interim decision."

Boguslavsky also said that Russia considered any initiatives triggering an infringement of the council permanent members' rights, including the abolition of the veto power, as inadmissible.

"One should remember that this institution [veto power] is an important factor that encourages the council members to seek balanced decisions. The use of the veto power or the threat to use it has many times saved the United Nations from being associated with some dubious affairs," Boguslavsky added.

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According to Boguslavsky, Russia supports a "compact" UN Security Council, as it believes that the number of its members should be no more than ""slightly over 20."

The need to reshape the UN Security Council, which currently has five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members, was first voiced in 1993. Since then, this has been repeatedly discussed, yet consensus has not been reached.