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Wallace Ruzvidzo, Harare Bureau

ZIMBABWE’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has received a major boost after Russia announced its support for the country.

Russian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Nikolai Krasilnikov, yesterday paid a courtesy call on President Mnangagwa at State House in Harare, to convey a message from his counterpart President Vladmir Putin as well as Russia’s support for Zimbabwe’s bid.

Zimbabwe will be bidding for a non-permanent seat on the UNSC for the period 2027 and 2028, a move that has been endorsed by various countries, including Cuba and India. 

SADC has also backed the country, along with other regional bodies.

In an interview after their closed-door meeting, Ambassador Krasilnikov said Russia was not only supporting Zimbabwe’s bid but looking forward to working with Zimbabwe on the UNSC to usher in a more democratic multipolar world.

“We look forward to having Zimbabwe as a United Nations Security Council non-permanent member very soon and we are confident that together we can intensify our efforts of establishing a new, more just and democratic multipolar world,” he said.

The UN Security Council has five permanent members, namely China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

The non-permanent members serve on a rotational basis.

To pass a resolution, at least nine of the 15 members must vote in favour. However, any of the five permanent members can veto a resolution, and it is in this context that Ambassador Krasilnikov said there is a need for like-minded progressive nations on the powerful UN body.

“You know that together we promote very important resolutions in the United Nations, like for example the UN resolution against glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other forms of racism.

“This issue is very important for Russia and like-minded countries, including Zimbabwe, especially this year when we celebrate and commemorate together the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War that facilitated the end of the Second World War, the establishment of the United Nations and the triumph of the liberation movements across the globe, including in Africa,” he said.

Zimbabwe last served on the UNSC between 1991-1992 and before that in 1983-1984.

The Russian envoy said the existing cordial relations between President Mnangagwa and President Putin continued to be the backbone of Harare and Moscow’s increasing bilateral co-operation and partnership on the global stage.

“The political dialogue between our principals reflects the very deep, very intensive and at the same time very cordial relations between President Mnangagwa and President Putin and also between our two brotherly nations.

“It also gives impetus to the whole mechanism of our bilateral co-operation. We enhance our partnership along various directions, including the very close, deep co-ordination in the international arena,” he said.

The Russian Ambassador said both countries were satisfied with the existing sound political relations which continued to be mutually beneficial.

“We are happy with the quality and the essence of our political dialogue, our mutual comprehension of the current situation in the world and we are absolutely confident that together we can move forward not only in terms of co-ordinating our political agendas but also in terms of developing tangible co-operation to produce certain results for the benefit of our brother nations,” he said.

Ambassador Krasilnikov said Russia was also appreciative of Zimbabwe’s efforts in fostering peace in the region.

“We highly appreciate and recognise the very significant role Zimbabwe plays in SADC as the chair of SADC…that was demonstrated by the recent (SADC) Extraordinary Summit held in Harare on a very crucial topic of a peaceful settlement in the eastern DRC,” he said.