Friday, September 22 2006 15:30 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New York: Pakistan and Italy, leading a group of nations that opposes the attempts by India and other G-4 countries to seek permanent seats in an enlarged UN Security Council, have been trying to drum up support for their viewpoint among the members of the world body.

The two countries, proponent of expansion of the Council only in the non-permanent category, organised a dinner meeting here Wednesday for the entire membership of the UN.

Their diplomats said their aim is to develop consensus to reform the Council but also asserted there would no compromise on their stand on expansion of the UNSC.

The dinner, co-hosted by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi at a hotel here, was billed to explore new ideas for way forward on the Council reform.

The UNSC has five permanent members with veto power China, France, Russia, the UK and the US. Another 10 countries rotate for two-year terms.

After the dinner meet, Musharraf said the purpose of the event was to start the process towards a "negotiated, agreed and comprehensive" reform of the Security Council and not necessarily to make any decisions.

Pakistan and Italy are members of the "Uniting for Consensus" (UfC) which last year fought attempts by the "Group of Four" India, Japan, Brazil and Germany -- to seek permanent seats in an enlarged Security Council.

Replying to a question, Musharraf said members of UfC remained opposed to inducting new permanent members on the Council as that violated the principle of sovereign equality.

"We are against creating new centres of power," he said.