New Delhi
8 November 2010
US president Barack Obama's backing for India leaves China as the only P-5
holdout not to support India's quest for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security
Council.
The P-5 consists of Russia (which has agreed to India's candidature "in principle"),
France, the UK, the US and China.
Currently inter-governmental text based negotiations are on but from New Delhi's
perspective, the real hurdle may come only after the 192-member UN General Assembly
has okayed the proposal because the P-5 will then be required to vote on it, and any one
of the P-5 could veto it.
Notwithstanding China's antipathy towards India, the expectation here is that a lot will
depend on India's own performance as a non-permanent UNSC member in 2011 and
2012. If India conducts herself "responsibly and objectively", it will help to convince
sceptics and naysayers.
Besides the G-4 (Group of Four, which comprises India, Japan, Germany and Brazil), the
53-member African Union and the United for Consensus (or Coffee Club) have advanced
their respective proposals for UNSC reform. The Coffee Club comprises 30-odd countries
such as Pakistan, Italy, South Korea and Argentina.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Obama had a detailed exchanged on East Asia -- a
euphemism for China and its not-so peaceful rise.
Briefing journalists after the talks, Dr Singh said, "We have a shared vision of security,
stability and prosperity in Asia based on an open and inclusive regional architecture."
For his part, Obama said India and the US have agreed to deepen their consultations on
East Asia and to expand their bilateral strategic dialogue to include global issues.
Later, addressing Parliament, Mr Obama said a vigorous engagement by India with
Southeast and East Asian nations enhance "security and prosperity of all our nations".
"Like your neighbours in Southeast Asia, we want India to not only look East, we want
India to engage East," Mr Obama noted.
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