India, Germany hope for strong momentum for UNSC reform

BERLIN: India and Germany, both aspirants of a permanent seat in the Security Council, today hoped that there will be a strong momentum for "text-based" negotiations which can lead to a positive outcome in the reform of the UN ahead of its 70th anniversary.

The issue of UN reform came up for discussion during talks between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is here on a two-day visit, and her German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeir.

"The UN Security council reform came up for discussion in a big way. Now the discussions have moved to the inter- governmental negotiations and India and Germany have both hoped that there will be a strong momentum to having text- based negotiations which can lead to some kind of positive outcome in the 70th anniversary year of the UN," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup told here.

India and Germany are among the G4 nations which support each other's bids for a permanent seat in the powerful UN Security Council. The other two members of G4 are Japan and Brazil.

India, along with other nations in the G4 bloc, have said it is "high time" the powerful UN Security Council is reformed to make it more representative and fit for the 21st century.

UN General Assembly President Sam Kutesa achieved a breakthrough of sorts recently by circulating a text to UN members that will form the basis for the negotiations on the reform of the Security Council.

Kutesa had appointed Jamaica's Permanent Representative Courtenay Rattray to chair on his behalf the Inter- Governmental Negotiations on the Security Council reform.