Pranab Mukherjee hopeful of seat in expanded UN Security Council

Washington D.C., Oct.8 (ANI): Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has expressed hope that India will get a permanent place in the United Nations Security Council whenever the reforms of the international body and its expansion take place.

Addressing an event at the Woodrow Wilson Centre in Washington D.C. on Thursday, he said India shall be duly considered as the world braces for election to one of the rotating-seats of the 15-member Security Council.

"This permanent membership is concerned, I do hope as and when the expanded Security Council along with the reforms, mainly the general reforms of the United Nations takes place, India's claim for being a permanent member of the Security Council will be considered and accepted," said Mukherjee.

Among top candidates for permanent seats are Germany, Japan, India, Brazil and an undetermined African state.

For over a decade the UN General Assembly has been struggling with ways to expand the Security Council, the most powerful UN body that has the power to make binding decisions about war and peace.

India has tried very hard to get international support for its stake for a permanent seat at the Security Council.

Meanwhile, speaking about US President Barack Obama's upcoming visit to India, Mukherjee stated that this visit would be the convergence of world's two biggest democracies and would be a celebration of diversity.

"The overall message would be that the two large democracies, one of the largest populous countries of the world and largest functional democracy, I think that is the one of the oldest democracy, believing in moralism, multi-nationalism, multi-cultured, they are coming together to convey the message that in democracy there should be diversities," said Mukherjee.

"And we should not oppose diversity, we should celebrate diversity that strengthens. And I do hope President Obama's visit to India would convey to the world that message very clearly and distinctly," he added.

He added that the US-India partnership would be one of the defining relations of the 21st century and Indians are ready to take this friendship forward.

US President Obama is scheduled to visit India in the second week of November this year. (ANI)