President Pratibha Patil seeks permanent berth for India in UN Security Council

NEW DELHI: Emphasising on reforms in global bodies to deal with contemporary realities, President Pratibha Patil today pressed for making India a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

"India has all the credentials for its legitimate aspiration to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council," Patil said.

She underlined the need for taking up reforms in international bodies, "so that they reflect contemporary realities and become more credible and effective".

The President was speaking after receiving credentials from eleven envoys from different countries including France, Belarus and Hungary.

Welcoming the envoys, the President said that India is working for greater growth to meet the aspirations of its people and is committed to inclusive growth.

Announcing that the government will spend over USD one trillion on building the country's infrastructure to fulfill the aspirations of the people, she said it is expanding social infrastructure particularly in education, skill building and health, as well as putting in place extensive physical infrastructure over the next five years.

"India also seeks to enlarge economic engagement with other countries for peace, progress and development," Patil said adding that "a growing India will expand opportunities for the global economy as well".