Azerbaijan gets seat in UN Security Council

PanARMENIAN.Net - Azerbaijan has secured a seat on the UN Security Council in 2012-2013 after Slovenia withdrew from the race following 16 inconclusive rounds of voting, Reuters reported.

Azerbaijan's victory was confirmed when it received 155 votes in the 193-nation UN General Assembly, ensuring that it joins Pakistan, Morocco, Guatemala and Togo as temporary members of the 15-nation council in January.

The Security Council is the powerhouse of the United Nations, with the ability to impose sanctions and dispatch peacekeeping forces.

Western diplomats in New York said that Azerbaijan might join other nations resisting any renewed U.S. and European Union push for UN sanctions against Iran or Syria next year. They said Pakistan would likely take a similar approach.

A Slovenian diplomat made clear his disappointment to the assembly when he announced the decision of the tiny Alpine nation and European Union member state to withdraw after 16 rounds of voting failed to produce a winner. "We don't approve the way this campaign was held and we don't approve the way these elections were held," he said.

Slovenia had been trailing Azerbaijan by around 40 votes.

Four countries, including Pakistan, were elected on Oct 21 to join the UN Security Council in January as nonpermanent members for two-year terms. Also elected, via secret ballot, were Guatemala, Morocco and Togo.

In a race for the fifth Security Council seat, Azerbaijan and Slovenia went 10 rounds of voting with no decision Friday night. Azerbaijan built some momentum but was 14 votes short of qualifying for the seat. The battle will resume Monday.

Countries are voted onto the Security Council by all 193 UN member nations. Leaving the council will be Brazil, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Gabon, Lebanon and Nigeria.