“Our election to the Security Council is particularly important for us at the backdrop of Russian aggression”, Klimkin said.
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Japan, along with Germany, Brazil and India, are pushing for revamping the Security Council and aspiring to become permanent members in a reformed council.
The UN Security Council is comprised of 15 members, including the five permanent veto-wielding members Russian Federation, China, Britain, France, and the United States.
Under the UN Charter, the Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of worldwide peace and security.
Ukraine was selected to serve on the Security Council in 2016-17 along with Egypt, Japan, Senegal and Uruguay, in an election where all five countries ran unopposed.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday there was a “glimmer of hope” that Ukraine could finally head towards a political solution to ending the separatist war in the country’s east. The bond-exchange terms make clear that holdouts will not be given more favorable terms and any investor who doesn’t accept the deal may face a moratorium, she said.
“All of Ukraine’s creditors by their majority – which stands at more than 75 per cent of the creditors’ committee votes – agreed to write off Ukraine’s debt”, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk told a televised government meeting.
Japan, which was elected with 184 votes to represent the Asia-Pacific region, will be a member of the council for the 11th time. Japan seeks to play a leading role in the Security Council’s work in the coming two years, both on global challenges like the Syrian conflict and on matters closer to home, such as dealing with North Korea. The government of army chief-turned-president Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has been criticized by human rights groups for its crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood, other Islamists and protesters. The country last held a seat in 2009-10.
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On Tuesday evening, Egypt’s permanent mission to the United Nations hosted 500 guests, including all UN ambassadors and their spouses, at a gala dinner at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City.
