Thursday, August 18 2005 16:01 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Government today (Aug 18, 2005) said it would not be a 'cakewalk' for India to get a permanent seat in an expanded U.N Security Council prompting Left ally Communist Party of India (CPI) Marxist (M) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to enquire whether it was due to lack of support from developing nations as a result of New Delhi's tilt towards US.

Responding to Supplementaries during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh asserted that India shared good relations with all countries and had sent special envoys to mobilise support in this regard.

He said G-4 countries comprising Germany, Japan, Brazil and India, should be credited with putting forward the UNSC reforms, including expansion of the Security Council, on agenda of the U.N. and it could not be reversed.

He said India had agreed to a membership in UNSC without veto power for 15 years as a beginning had to be made in this direction.

Earlier, Minister of State for External Affairs, Rao Inderjit Singh, in response to a query on the issue, said "Despite our best effort it is possible that nothing will happen" and that getting a permanent seat at UNSC would not be a 'cakewalk'.

Former External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha asked Natwar Singh whether the observation of his Minister of State reflected a sense of despair on the part of the Government in its quest for a UNSC permanent seat

"I would like to assure the former External Affairs Minister that there is no question of despair. Despair for what? We have made certain that this issue is on agenda", Natwar Singh said.

Sinha wanted to know whether India was unable to muster support of the developing countries including the NAM and members of African Union in its bid for the coveted UNSC seat due to its leanings towards the United States.

Earlier, expressing similar sentiments, CPI-M leader in the House Nilotpal Basu asked Singh whether this was due to drift in India's Non-Aligned policy.

Minister asserted India shared good relations

The Minister asserted India shared good relations with all countries including the NAM members, U.S and China.

"The relations with United States are very good, China are very good and relations with developing countries are very good", Singh said.

Stating that there were differences within groupings such as the African Union and the P-5 on various aspects of UNSC reforms, the Minister said India is making efforts not only to muster support for itself but for also for Germany, Japan and Brazil.

He said there were reservations on expansion of UNSC from US and China for various reasons. While United States wanted to give priority to other aspects of UN reforms and was game to Japan being given a permanent seat, China wanted a consensus on the issue.

Singh asserted that during his talks with the Chinese leadership, Beijing had assured it would not be an 'obstacle' in New Delhi's bid for the prestigious position in the Security Council.

The Minister said the U.N Security Council must, in its composition, reflect contemporary geo-political realities and not those of 1945.

He said its actions must be representative, legitimate and effective and its methods of work and decision making process more democratic, transparent and responsive.

Inclusion of developing countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America, will contribute to optimal decision making necessary to address the insecurity of developing countries, he said.

Claiming that there has been a steady accretion of support to India's candidature since it was announced in 1994, Singh said some nations have expressed support confidentially during bilateral relations.

He said any reform of U.N Security Council requires amendment of the U.N Charter, which is a complex exercise.