India, Japan, Germany, Brazil to push for UNSC permanent seats

The leaders of India, Germany, Japan and Brazil are likely to meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly next week to draw up a joint strategy to push for permanent seats in the Security Council, the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) reported Friday.

The proposal by Japan for the meeting has been accepted by India and senior officials here noted the four major countries have the capability to contribute significantly to the United Nations and are ready to shoulder the responsibility.

While Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's talks with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly may grab the headlines, the talks with his counterparts from Germany, Japan and Brazil are seen here as equally if not more important.

The prime minister will arrive in New York on Monday to address the General Assembly on Thursday after less than a day's stopover in London, where he will hold talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

"UN reform is a matter which has been occupying the attention of the world community, including the UN, for quite some time. We think that the UN is very different from what it was in 1945," IANS quoted a senior official as said.

During his week-long stay in New York, the prime minister will hold talks with US President George W. Bush and other world leaders.

Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran is already in Washington to prepare the agenda for the talks and there is expectation that India and the United States may announce an agreement on the "Next Step in Strategic Partnership."

The prime minister has a crowded schedule during his stay in New York. External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh, who is accompanying the prime minister, also has a packed program.

Source: Xinhua