Russia has voiced its support for Palestine's aspiration to resume the process of becoming a full member of the United Nations, Dmitriy Polyanskiy, Russia's First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, said.
"The Palestinians have requested the UN Security Council chairman to resume the consideration of their membership application, which was initiated back in 2011. This decision is long overdue! We wholeheartedly support it," Polyanskiy wrote in his Telegram channel on Wednesday. "The process involves several stages. Previously, it was 'suspended' by the US. It remains to be seen how they will respond now, especially amidst the threat of Gaza's complete destruction," the Russian diplomat added.
Earlier, Vanessa Frazier, Malta's Permanent Representative to the UN, informed journalists that during Malta's presidency of the UN Security Council in April, a letter from Palestine was circulated among council members, urging them to contemplate accepting the nation as a full-fledged member of the global organization.
The missive, authored by Palestine's Permanent Observer to the UN Riyad Mansour and obtained by TASS, implores the UN Security Council to resume deliberations on the application in April 2024. Additionally, the Palestinian diplomatic mission appended letters of support for Palestine's UN membership bid from the Arab group of states within the organization, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Non-Aligned Movement. The letter also included a list of 140 countries that have formally recognized Palestine as a sovereign state.
In 2011, Palestine initially sought UN membership but later opted to retain its status as a permanent observer on a temporary basis. According to Mansour, this decision aimed to convince hesitant nations of Palestine's eligibility for full UN membership. Countries with permanent observer status can partake in most meetings and access nearly all relevant documentation but lack voting privileges. Apart from Palestine, the Holy See (Vatican City) is the only other entity holding permanent observer status at the UN.
As outlined on the UN's official website, the process of admitting a country to the organization requires a recommendation from the Security Council to the General Assembly. For this recommendation to materialize, nine out of the fifteen Security Council members must vote in favor of the application, provided none of the body's permanent members—Great Britain, China, Russia, the United States, and France—cast dissenting votes. Subsequently, the issue is brought before the UN General Assembly, where approval for accession necessitates a two-thirds majority vote.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: AP/TASS
Based on materials from TASS