| Berlin backs Delhi’s claim for permanent UNSC seat |
NEW DELHI Germany, one of a four-nation group pushing for United Nations reforms, on Saturday forcefully argued for providing a permanent seat to India and itself in the security council high table so that the international body reflects present-day global realities.
German Ambassador to India Michael Steiner, who took over his new responsibilities here this week, also noted that if the UN does not reform, it might lose its “legitimacy.”
“It is very clear that India should have a permanent seat in the UN Security Council,” Steiner told reporters.
“Germany has the same request, if you look at our contribution (to UN),” he said, adding that “as India endorses the German request, we endorse the Indian request”.
Germany and India, along with South Africa and Japan, have formed a group within the UN to push for early reforms and expansion of the UNSC to include them as permanent members.
At present, the Permanent Five (P5) in the UNSC are the US, Britain, France, Russia and China.
“Our line is very clear here. The UNSC was formed as a picture of the situation after the World War II. It reflected the then political realities of the world. If you look now at the political realities, they are completely different. The UNSC, with the P5, does not reflect the picture that does exists now anymore.
“It is obvious that an organ, which does not reflect the realities of the world be it in terms of population or be it terms of contribution, loses its legitimacy,” the German envoy said.
Calling for the UN to adapt to the present day circumstances, Steiner said: “I think it is quite legitimate that we progress faster in this direction.”
Earlier, Steiner said India and Germany are “a perfect match” considering that the two nations are placed in a similar situation in their respective continents.
Indo-Asian News Service
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