Azerbaijan becomes member of United Nations Security Council

Azerbaijan was elected a member of the United Nations Security Council for the first time in its history after winning the vacancy on the world’s most powerful body during voting on October 24 in New York.

Thus, Azerbaijan is the first among the 12 post-Soviet states, which were admitted to the United Nations in 1992, to be elected to the Security Council.

Azerbaijan claimed the non-permanent seat for the term 2012-13, awarded to an Eastern European country, on the 17th round of balloting after it scored votes from 155 U.N. Member States in the General Assembly – well clear of the necessary two-thirds majority of States present and voting.

Slovenia, which was also a candidate for the same Eastern European seat, withdrew its bid after the 16th round given the huge voting margin in favor of Azerbaijan. In that round Azerbaijan had obtained 116 votes to Slovenia´s 77.

In his congratulatory statement, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan said that this victory was a vivid demonstraton of Azerbaijan´s emergence as a friendly country and reliable partner enjoying great respect worldwide, during the 20 years of its independence. The President also noted that as a member of the Security Council "Azerbaijan will serve the ideals it is committed to – peace, security, democracy and justice.