Kazakhstan becomes non-permanent member of UN Security Council
ASTANA. June 29 (Interfax) - The UN General Assembly elected Kazakhstan a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2017-2018 on Tuesday, Kazakh Senate Speaker Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
"Kazakhstan has been elected a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. This event is historic for our country led by Elbasy [Leader of the Nation, the honorary title of President Nursultan Nazarbayev] in the year of the 25th anniversary of independence," Tokayev wrote on Twitter.
In turn, Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Masimov congratulated the people of Kazakhstan on the country's election as a Security Council member.
Kazakhstan gained 138 votes of member states, former Kazakh Foreign Ministry spokesman, incumbent Ambassador to Poland Altai Abibullayev said.
UN Security Council members are elected by a secret vote. A successful candidate needs two-thirds of votes cast by General Assembly participant countries, i.e. 129 out of 193.
Kazakhstan and Thailand aspired for non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council in 2017-2018 on behalf of the Asia-Pacific states. Kazakhstan has never been elected a UN Security Council member. Thailand was a UN Security Council member in 1985-1986.
The UN Security Council consists of 15 UN member countries. The UK, China, France, Russia and the United States are permanent members of the Security Council. Ten non-permanent members are elected by the General Assembly for a period of two years. Rotation of five out of ten non-permanent members takes place annually.