Bangalore: Britain strongly supports India's bid for apermanent place in an expanded UN Security Council, Chancellor of the ExchequerGordon Brown said yesterday (Jan 17, 2007).

It is time to formally recognise on a more consistent and regular basis thereality of the emerging new world order, and the global community should focuson modernising the United Nations so that it has the right role in the modernworld, "not least as an effective peacemaker and peacekeeper", Brownsaid.

"And let me say Britain strongly supports India's bid for a permanentplace, with others, on a larger Security Council," Brown, widely tipped tosucceed Tony Blair as Britain's Prime Minister, told the Confederation of IndianIndustry's Partnership Summit 2007 here.

Commending Indiafor being the third largest contributor of troops for UN peacekeeping missions,he said other countries should contribute to the new and expanded role of NATOin peacekeeping and ensuring stability in difficult parts of the world.