No time frame on Security Council reforms: Indian envoy

Betwa Sharma

United Nations, Sep 22 (PTI) As India discussed the
expansion of the UN Security Council with Brazil and South
Africa, a top Indian official said that there was "renewed
focus" in these discussions.

The India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) meeting was
hosted by Brazil on the sidelines of the 64th session of the
UN General Assembly that kicks off Tuesday with a Climate
Change Summit.

On the first day of his visit to New York for the
UN meet, External Affairs Minister of India S M Krishna
discussed the need for the expansion of the Security Council
with his counterparts from Brazil and South Africa.

Hardeep Singh Puri, the Indian envoy to the UN who has
been heading the Indian dialogue on the Security Council
reforms, told PTI that it was not possible to put a time frame
on the negotiations.

"I don't know how long it will take to work out a
package, it could take a few months or it may take one or two
years but certainly there is a renewed focus in these
discussions, said Puri.

The previous set of discussions called 'Open Ended
Working Group (OEWG)' process spanned more than 15 years. The
OEWG set of talks had been replaced by the new
"inter-governmental" negotiating framework that made good
progress during the previous session of the GA.

"It is a more serious business and the discussions are
more focused," added Puri. (MORE) PTI BS
SDE


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