Monday, September 26 2005 16:51 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The G-4 countries comprising India, Brazil, Germany and Japan have decided to stick together in their efforts to press for comprehensive UN reforms including expansion of the Security Council and try and evolve a common draft with African countries before the year-end.

"We have decided that the G-4 will maintain its solidarity," Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran told reporters here today (Sept 26, 2005).

He said Foreign Ministers of the G-4 countries who met in New York earlier this month on the margins of the UN General Assembly agreed to move ahead on the basis of their agreed strategy.

Saran, who returned from the US last night, said the G-4 will together with African countries to see whether they can come up with a common draft incorporating the London compromise before December end. "We are optimistic of moving forward," he said.

He said there was considerable sentiment in African countries which recognised that the biggest beneficiary of Security Council reforms would be Africa as the also the biggest loser if this does not take place since it has been given the lion's share in both permanent and non-permanent seats.

India is hopeful of moving ahead on Security Council reforms keeping in view the new deadline of December end set by Secretary General Kofi Annan.