India stakes claim for non-permanent seat in UNSC

NEW DELHI: India has staked claim for non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council even as it continues to intensify efforts to push its candidature for a permanent seat in the world body.

India has staked a claim for one of the 10 non-permanent seats for the two-year term during 2011-12 in the Asia quota. Earlier, India was a non-permanent member of the Security Council six times since 1950.

Significantly, India���s partners in G4 ��� Brazil, Germany and Japan ��� have also bid for non-permanent seats in the Council. The four countries formed the grouping to unitedly push their candidature.

Officials made it clear that staking claim for non-permanent membership did not mean dilution of the aspiration for a permanent seat.

While bidding for the non-permanent seat, India is intensifying efforts to get permanent membership of the world body and hectic consultations are underway with other G4 members.