Sunday, June 26 2005 14:31 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Beijing: Notwithstanding Opposition from China and some other countries, India, seeking permanent membership of the UN Security Council (UNSC), today (Jun 26, 2005) said it would go ahead with introducing the text of the G-4 framework resolution on the world body's reform in the General Assembly.

"India is sure to move the G-4 framework resolution. India has not decided not to move the G4 framework resolution," Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed told sources in Beijing here prior to his departure to New York to attend important meetings at the UN.

India has decided to move the resolution along with other G-4 countries -- Brazil, Germany and Japan, said Ahamed, who was here on a transit visit after attending the inauguration of Presidency of new Mongolian President Nambaryn Enkhbayar.

"The G-4 framework resolution will offer the member states a window of opportunity to express individual decisions in reforming the UN," the minister said.

He said that the framework resolution would give the member nations an opportunity to reform the UN, such as revitalising the General Assembly, expanding membership of the Security Council, including permanent membership and strengthening the Economic and Social Council, which are essential part of UN reforms.

"No country has openly opposed India's candidature to be a permanent member of the UNSC as India is the most qualified candidate," Ahamed said when asked to comment on China's opposition to the G-4 resolution.

Adoption of a resolution in the 191-member General Assembly requires two-thirds of majority.

India, Germany, Japan and Brazil, known as the G-4, circulated a draft resolution calling for an increase of 10 seats in the Security Council -- six new permanent seats and four non-permanent ones. The proposal was strongly objected by Italy, Pakistan, South Korea and many other nations.

Ahamed said the Mongolian Government pledged to support India's candidature for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.

Indian Embassy sources said they had conveyed New Delhi's stance to Beijing at various levels.

"While China says that it supports India's candidature, it will not support any move that would allow Japan to have a permanent seat in the UNSC," sources said.

The G-4 Foreign Ministers at their meeting in Brussels on June 22 expressed their view that the Security Council must be reformed to represent today's global realities, not the world of 60 years ago. To this end, the Security Council must be expanded in both permanent and non permanent categories, on the basis equitable representation, with the inclusion of both developed and developing countries.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid M Kasuri, in an interview to China's official Xinhua news agency in Islamabad, asked India and other G-4 countries not to press for the expansion of UN Security Council to prevent "division" in UN system, saying the UN reforms should not be "hijacked."

"We oppose the expansion of the UNSC and veto power (to new permanent members) in principle as we believe strongly in the principle of sovereign equality of states," Kasuri said.

Kasuri said Pakistan, along with Italy, took the lead in uniting the countries opposed to the expansion and was trying to build a "broad consensus."

"We also appeal the G-4 not to divide the world community as the opportunity to work on the UN reforms would be missed, if there were a stalemate on this issue," Kasuri said.

Asked about his remarks last week that the agenda of the UN reform was being "hijacked," Kasuri said, "No one is talking about the UN reform and the entire focus is on adding more seats to the Security Council."

He said there was a need to adopt a "holistic approach" and have "very in-depth discussions" on the UN reform, which should promote democracy, efficiency and accountability with a stress on development. However it was not happening, Kasuri regretted.

On Pakistan's position, Kasuri said his country favoured the 'Plan B' which is against having additional permanent members in the UNSC, but it was also willing to view other proposals which are closer to Plan B but not to that of the G4.

Kasuri said Pakistan's stance was based on "principles" as it believed the increase in UNSC permanent seats would deny representation to a vast majority of UN members.

He claimed that Pakistan's Opposition to the UNSC expansion had nothing to do with the fact that India was desirous of getting a permanent seat.

"Our position is based on principles," he said, noting that Pakistan and India have been engaged in dialogue to resolve bilateral issues and improve ties.