Friday, July 22 2005 20:04 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

United Nations: In a last-ditch effort to push forward their agenda to expand UN Security Council, foreign ministers of G-4 nations, including India, are likely to hold talks in London on Monday (July 25, 2005) as another group led by Pakistan and Italy said it plans to formally introduce its draft resolution the same day.

Foreign Ministers of the G-4 and the African Union are expected to meet in London on Monday to further coordinate their position on the Council expansion, diplomats said.

They are expected to hold talks to discuss the issue, which may be put to a vote at the UN General Assembly on July 29, they said.

The G-4 wants to enlarge the Security Council with six new permanent members and four additional non-permanent members.

The AU also presented a UN reform resolution for Security Council enlargement earlier this month, which is close to the G-4s resolution.

Supporters of a plan to expand the UN Security Council without adding new permanent members said they plan to table their draft resolution calling for an increase of 10 elected members with renewable two-year term in the General Assembly on Monday.

The group, called Uniting for Consensus, is vehemently opposed to plans by India, Brazil, Germany and Japan, and the African Union to add six new permanent seats to the UN's most powerful body.

The Uniting for Consensus proposal would increase the council from 15 to 25 members, but the 10 new members would be non-permanent, which would mean 20 of the 25 members would be elected by the General Assembly.