Annan favours permanent Council berth for India

Annan favours permanent Council berth for India
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

New Delhi, May 21: United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has favoured India's candidature for a permanent seat in the Security Council.

In an interview to Doordarshan `Worldview India' programme, Annan said that one of the proposals to reform the Council was to have five new members -- two from the industrialised countries and three from the developing world.

"When it comes to the Indian seat, even though the decision will have to be taken by the members, I think there is a sense among a large number of UN members that India will be natural for a consideration of such a seat," Annan said.

Annan agreed that the UN Security Council reflected the geo-political realities of 1945 and that it needed to be reformed to give it greater representation and greater legitimacy, a release from Worldview India said here.

"There are those who are worried that if you expand the Security Council and make it too large, it will not be effective. I believe that it is not beyond human ingenuity and creativity to reform the Council in a manner that it will be small enough to be effective but large enough to be seen as more representative and therefore with greater legitimacy," he said.

He also praised Indian peacekeeping forces around the world and said that "India has produced some of the best peacekeepers we have had."

With regard to Indian forces operations in Sierra Leone, Annan said he spoke to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee about the contribution of Indian Force Commander in Sierra Leona, Major General Jetley and the Indian troops.

Thanking Vajpayee for the men he made available and commending the performance of Gen Jetley, he said "I am grateful to the government of India and to the people of India for making these men and women available."

Peacekeeping requires discipline, self-restraint, and the ability to work with others. India has produced best peacekeepers not in terms of the rank and file but also in leadership, he said.

In Somalia, a very difficult operation, the Indian contingent brigade that occupied Baidowa were perhaps able to establish one of the most peaceful corners in that troubled land and that battalion became very popular with the local population.

Indian forces have done a good job in Lebanon. "We also had General Nambiar who was the Force Commander in Yugoslavia during the difficult days there. So we consider Indian soldiers very highly and they are among the best peacekeepers," Annan said.