Brown backs India's bid for UNSC seat

New Delhi, Jan 20 : Visiting British Prime Minister Gordon Brown today backed India's bid for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council.

Speaking at the UK-India Entrepreneurship Summit at the IIT, Brown said: "India should become a member of the UNSC."

India is bidding for its permanent membership in the expanded UNSC, saying that it was essential as part of the 60-year-old organisation's reforms.

Brown, who arrived here today on a two-day visit, also sought expansion of G-8 bloc to include India in view of the "new realities".

"There is no future for any big economic bloc, which does not include India," he said.

India, China, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa, are members of five Outreach countries of the G-8 bloc of developed countries. There have been suggestions to expand the grouping to include the "major threshold nations" as full members.

At the summit, Brown also announced the setting up of a network for providing venture capital funds to Indian entrepreneurs to establish their own businesses.

"I hope that it (venture capital funds) may be of interest to many of you who want to start their own businesses," said Brown.

He said the venture capital fund will be for "ideas in India which can be developed in Britain and ideas in Britain which can be developed in India".

Earlier today, Brown called for greater cooperation with India on combating terrorism and strengthening of relationship between the two nations.

Brown wants India to become a member of an international body that counters terrorist financing, the Financial Action Task Force.

On the sidelines of a three-day deliberation on Women's Empowerment and Girls Education, Brown said, the focus of his visit will be on strengthening economic relationship and to "work together on other greater issues which effect both the countries."

ANI