Addis Ababa: African countries today came
out in support of India becoming a permanent member of the UN
Security Council and appreciated its unstinted assistance
towards their all round developmental programmes.
The backing for India`s aspirations for a Security
Council permanent seat came during the retreat chaired by
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the Second
Africa India Forum Summit here.
The discussions centred on the need to take effective
steps to ensure that decisions taken were implemented in an
efficient and result-oriented manner, Vivek Katju, Secretary
(West) in the External Affairs Ministry, told reporters after
the retreat which lasted for about two hours over lunch.
The Prime Minister, who is here on a three-day visit,
has held a series of meetings with African leaders who
included the African Commission Chairperson Jean Ping. He has
also met leaders from Ethiopia, Equitorial Guinea and Burundi.
Singh told Ping that India supported efforts of the
African Union with regard to the situation prevailing in North
Africa, said Katju.
PTI
