Sunday, July 24 2005 14:49 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: As part of intensified efforts on UN Security Council reforms, External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh will meet his counterparts from Brazil and South Africa in London today (July 24, 2005) ahead of the G-4 ministerial discussions.

Singh will hold talks with Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim and Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma from South Africa under the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) initiative.

The (IBSA) meeting will also be attended by the Foreign Ministers of Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal.

Singh and his counterparts in G-4 comprising India, Brazil, Germany and Japan will meet representative Foreign Ministers of the African Union on Monday to forge a common position on the Security Council expansion.

While the G-4 resolution seeks enlargement of the Security Council strength from 15 to 25 with six additional permanent members with no veto rights for 15 years, the African Union is insisting on veto powers for the new permanent members.

Singh and his counterparts from Japan, Nobutaka Machimura, Joschka Fischer of Germany and Amorim had met in New York on July 17 and in London before that.

Singh will return home on July 26 to participate in Parliamentary debate the next day, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be making a statement in Parliament on his recent visit to the US and the outcome of talks with President George W Bush and other American leaders.