South Africa is working with Nigeria to secure two permanent seats on the United Nations security council allocated for Africa under a plan to reform the world body, an official said Thursday.

Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad said in Pretoria that that President Thabo Mbeki and his counterpart Olusegun Obasanjo would be major forces at the UN 2005 millennium summit where the reform of the United Nations would be discussed.

South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt are the three main candidates for the African seats which are also being contested by Senegal, Kenya and Ghana.

Opening a meeting of the South Africa-Nigeria bilateral commission, Pahad said Mbeki and Obasanjo "will be able to put together a common position on UN reform."

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan presented a report in March, proposing an overhaul of the world body, including an increase in the number of seats of the security council from 15 to 24.

"If we don't have a common approach, African interests will notbe realized at that summit," said Pahad.

"We must ensure that, as Africans, we get our act together so we can act as one," he said. "But seeking the security council seats must not divert us from dealing with the major challenges facing Africa, namely poverty alleviation and underdevelopment."