Friday, July 8 2005 17:03 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: India and other G-4 countries may not prematurely push for an early voting on their framework resolution for expansion of the UN Security Council tabled earlier this week, official sources indicated today (July 8, 2005).

External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh left for London this morning (July 8, 2005) for a meeting of his G-4 counterparts from Japan, Germany and Brazil to discuss the future course of action.

The meeting takes place in the shadow of Thursday's terror attacks in London that left 37 dead and 700 injured.

The resolution calls for increasing the membership of the Security Council from 15 to 25 with six new additional permanent seats of which two will go to Africa. Ahead of his visit, Singh said there was time till September to deliberate on the issue of seeking a vote and further discussions would be held on it.

Since all the G-4 leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, are in the UK for the G-8 Summit, it would give them an opportunity to discuss the issue.

All the four countries have decided to support one another for permanent membership of the Security Council and stick together in seeking the support of the 191-member UN General Assembly. . The G-4 submitted on Wednesday (July 6, 2005) the draft resolution to the UN Secretariat. It will be translated into six official languages of the world body, a prerequisite for any document to be circulated to the member States.

The move comes amid intense negotiations within the African Union and strong opposition from the United States and China. The G-4 was encouraged by the decision of the 15-member Caribbean Community, also known as Caricom, earlier this week to support its resolution.

Singh said following sustained efforts by India and some others like G-4 partners; there was an overwhelming view among majority of UN members that there should be urgent reforms. About 150 of the 191 members are in favour of the reforms, he said.

Asked about the declaration by Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in which the six member countries, including China and Russia, opposed setting any deadline for the UN reform or imposing a vote on the draft proposals, he said this has been their view.

While the US has supported induction of Japan as a permanent member of the Security Council, it has given indications that India, which meets the criteria laid down by it, could be the second member it may back.

Officials are looking at the possibility of some movement and understanding on Washington's part on this count during the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the US at the invitation of President George W Bush later this month.