According to Moscow, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will chair a session of the UN Security Council in April during the Russian Council Presidency. “A (…) key event of the Russian Presidency will be the Council’s high-level public debate on ‘effective multilateralism by defending the principles of the UN Charter,'” says Lavrov’s spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. This session will be chaired by the Russian Foreign Minister.
The presidency of the UN Security Council rotates monthly, with the 15 member states alternating in alphabetical order. In April it is Russia’s turn. Ukraine has sharply criticized Russia’s forthcoming takeover of the Council presidency. As a presidency, Russia would have little influence on the Council’s decisions, but would set the agenda.