New York: All the BRIC nations - Brazil,
Russia, India and China - would be member of the UN Security
Council in the coming year and could present a united front on
several contentious issues, a top Indian diplomat has said.
"This, of course, is predicated on India being elected
in October, which is widely anticipated," India`s envoy to the
UN Hardeep Singh Puri told reporters.
"BRIC coordination in the Security Council becomes a
fact of life," he said after a meeting with the foreign
ministers of the three other countries yesterday.
Earlier this year, Kazakhstan withdrew from the race
leaving India as a sole runner from Asia for the two year
term. The last time India had a seat on the Security Council
was in 1992.
Puri pointed out that BRIC members would be four out
of the 15 members on the Security Council and South Africa
could also win a seat, this year, as it was an endorsed
candidate for Africa.
"That makes it five out of 15 that is 30 per cent or
more of the Security Council," he said, adding that is a very
important development.
Puri also noted that the group collectively expressed
the need to move their discussions beyond the economic realm.
"There was a clear preference expressed by some that
BRIC should not confine itself to mere economic issues. The
more important political issues should be discussed," he said.
Leaders of BRIC will meet in China early next year.
Puri also said that BRIC nations, who are members of
the G-20, have decided to engage in "outreach activities" so
that the group of the 20 biggest economies did not appear as a
"select group of big boys."
PTI
