New Delhi
16 February 2007
Russia supported India's bid for a permanent seat in the United
Nations Security Council, Russian Ambassador to India Vyacheslav I Trubnikov said on
Friday. He described India as a "rising power".
In contrast, the United States, which is negotiating a pathbreaking civilian nuclear
cooperation agreement with India, remained non-committal on New Delhi's demand for a
permanent seat at the horseshoe table.
White House Spokesman Tony Snow on Thursday evaded a question on a seat for India
in the UNSC saying he was "not aware" of any official position on the issue.
At his regular briefing yesterday, Snow was asked to comment on the stand of President
George W Bush on a demand by India that as the world's largest democracy it deserves
to have a seat at the Security Council as a permanent member.
"I'm not aware that we have an official position. That is not meant to be a snub. That is
meant to be a flat statement that the press secretary is not aware," he said in a brief
response.
India, Japan, Germany and Brazil are members of the Group of Four (G-4), which has
staked its claim for permanent seats in the UNSC. Japan is understood to have decided
to stay away from the G-4 after Washington indicated it would want to endorse the
candidacy of Japan but not the others.
Sources keeping track of India's bid for a permanent seat in the UNSC are increasingly
coming round to the belief that India could have got wider support if it had decided to go
it alone.
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