India, Germany to work hard for advancing UNSC reforms

Berlin, Dec.12 (PTI) 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 Indian Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh at a joint news conference after his
talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel Saturday 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.
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.