UNITED NATIONS, September 25. /TASS/. The solution to the expansion of the United Nations Security Council cannot be found without taking Africa’s interests into consideration, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Saturday at a news conference after participating in the 77th session of the UN General Assembly.

"I have said that we believe India and Brazil are strong candidates for permanent membership at the Security Council as international players provided that the profile of Africa is simultaneously raised accordingly," the minister said.

"It is impossible to find the solution to the Security Council’s enlargement without meeting African interests," Lavrov added, stressing that in general, the Security Council should be only expanded with representatives of Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Lavrov explained that he mentioned India and Brazil as they had long ago submitted official bids. He added that South Africa, in particular, had not yet taken such a step.

"African countries - the African Union members - are committed to the Ezulwini Consensus, which was achieved many years ago and which is their collective position," the minister stressed.

Russia does not think that the United Nations Security Council should be enlarged with Western countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. "We imply that the Council should be only expanded with representatives of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Talking about adding Western countries to the Council would be simply ridiculous - for some reasons," he said.

The minister pointed out that he would leave out the fact that all those countries are hostile towards Russia and China.