Berlin: Basking in the glory of getting non-permanent seats in UN Security Council, India and Germany said they will work "hard" in advancing reforms of the prestigious body and pledged to cooperate both bilaterally and within G-4.
The broad strategies on how the two countries will move forward on the issue of the much awaited reforms of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) were outlined by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a joint news conference after his talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel last night.
Prime Minister Singh said India will work "closely" with Germany both bilaterally and within the G-4 to enhance the effectiveness of the Security Council, as well as in support
of the expansion of the permanent and non-permanent categories of its membership. The two countries will serve a two-year term as non-permanent members from January one next.
Merkel said the two countries will work "hard" to advance reforms in the UNSC. "Now that India and Germany have got non-permanent membership the two countries will have
interest in seeing that reforms advanced."
The Chancellor noted that India was getting endorsement of several countries in its quest for a permanent membership in the UNSC. She, especially, referred to the US President
Barack Obama`s support for India`s bid.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle wasted little time after his country was elected to a non-permanent seat on the UNSC.
After the elections in October, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle wasted little time in calling for major changes to the UNSC. The foreign minister criticized what he
said was the lack of representation for certain regions of the world.
"It is not appropriate that two continents, like Africa and Latin America, do not have permanent seats on the UN Security Council. Asia, too, rightfully views itself as
under-represented," he said.
"That is why any reform of the United Nations is not first and foremost about a permanent seat on the Security Council for us, but rather about a better reflection of global distribution of power," Westerwelle emphasized.
Westerwelle had also said a meeting of G-4 countries will be held in a few months to give fresh momentum to their efforts on the reforms in the UN Security Council. Besides
India and Germany, the other two members are Brazil and Japan.
PTI
