Russia, China back India for greater role at UN

YEKATERINBURG: Russia and China today backed India's aspirations to play a greater role in United Nations affairs.

"We reiterate the importance we attach to the status of India and Brazil in international affairs, and understand and support their aspirations to play a greater role in the UN," said a joint statement issued after the first summit meeting of leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) here.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da'Silva, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese President Hu Jintao expressed their commitment to multilateral diplomacy and comprehensive UN reforms.

"We express our strong commitment to multilateral diplomacy with the United Nations playing the central role in dealing with global challenges and threats," they said.

The leaders of the four countries reaffirmed the need for a comprehensive reform of the UN.