ECOWAS supports India's permanent candidature for UNSC

New Delhi, Apr 5 (UNI) A powerful grouping of 15 West African nations today extended support to India's permanent candidature to the UN Security Council and said they would work in collaboration with India to arrive at some solution.

The announcement was made by Mme Aichatou Mindaoudou, Minister for Foreign Affairs and African Cooperation of Niger, at a press conference here after about two-hour talks between the Econmic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Indian delegation led by Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma.

''ECOWAS supports India's permanent candidature at the UN Security Council...We hope India achieves this objective as soon as possible,''Mme Mindaoudou, who led the ECOWAS side at the delegation-level talks, said at the joint press interaction alongwith Mr Anand Sharma.

The 15 countries are : Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

She said the process of UN reforms was long. Each member of the ECOWAS had very good bilateral relations with India.

Asked how would the ECOWAS bring other countries of the African Union (AU) to support India, she said a procedure had to be followed. Some regions would take long. But none of the ECOWAS countries was opposed to India's permanent candidature.

''We will work in collaboration with India to find some solution,'' she added.

Mme Mindaoudou said the two sides held discussions on various aspects of the UN reforms and both sides shared the same perception that the world body was in need of reforms which were comprehensive.

''There was convergence of views on the issue. Both feel that the UN should be more representative so that it adapts to the current situation,'' she said.

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