Netherlands backs India's bid for permanent UNSC seat

NEW DELHI: The Netherlands today came out in support of India's bid for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), saying the country is a "prime candidate" if the premier global body were to expand.

Observing that to remain relevant, bodies such as the UNSC need to be fundamentally reformed, Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said: "If the Security Council were to include additional permanent seats, then my country sees India of course as a prime candidate".

In an attempt to get the United Nations reform process moving, India and other G4 nations including Brazil, Germany and Japan recently said they were open to innovative ideas and willing to not exercise veto as permanent members of a reformed Security Council until a decision on it has been taken.

Addressing an interactive session organised by industry body CII here, he said the Netherlands too expects to be a non-permanent member of the UNSC next year.

Sharing his views on the situation in war-torn Syria, the Dutch Foreign Minister remarked: "I find especially the position of the Russian Federation as to its use of veto power even when there are chemical attacks unacceptable."

He said one can only have a functioning security council if there is legitimacy and effectiveness.

Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that would have condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria last month and called on the government there to cooperate with an investigation into the incident.

Russia, a permanent member of 15-nation Council, exercised the veto when a draft resolution drafted by France, the United Kingdom and the US was tabled in the UN.

While 10 of the UNSC's 15 members voted in favour, Russia rejected the text, as permanent member China, as well as non-permanent members Ethiopia and Kazakhstan abstained.