Saran said there was considerable sentiment in African countries which recognised that the biggest beneficiary of Security Council reforms would be Africa.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday made a powerful call for early reform and expansion of the United Nations Security Council "to reflect contemporary reality" and asked nations not to allow the global economic slowdown to trigger protectionism through various barriers.
The envoys of member-nations of the council, which has often condemned human rights violations in member-states, have been very clear that the issue is not likely to come up during the meetings, and some have even questioned whether it posed a threat to international peace and security, a yardstick for council action. The Chinese diplomats said the issue did not come up in the council on Monday, maintaining it does not pose threat to international and peace and security.
"We are the ones who go around the world lecturing everybody about democracy. I think it's about time we apply it to ourselves and then show that there is effective representation," Annan said.\n
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Kash Patel, a close confidante, as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This appointment would make Patel the highest-ranking Indian American in Trump's incoming administration. Patel has previously served in various roles in the Trump administration, including Chief of Staff at the Department of Defense, Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council. Trump praised Patel's work in uncovering the "Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax" and his commitment to "bringing back Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity to the FBI." Patel, who has extensive experience in law enforcement and national security, is known for his work on the Russia investigation and his criticism of the "deep state."
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed his desire for peaceful relations with India based on the principles of 'equity, justice and mutual respect' and the resolution of the Kashmir issue, according to a media report on Friday.
In an alarming development, North Korea on Friday cancelled all non-aggression pacts with South Korea and cut off a hotline with Seoul after the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved new sanctions on Pyongyang to punish it for its February 12 nuclear test.
'Unsurprisingly, Trump shared Modi's podcast with Fridman on his Truth account.' 'The intentions of Trump, a transactional president, are never easy to tell.' 'We will know in the next fortnight if and when he unfolds reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods, whether Modi's flattering words made any significant difference to Trump's compass,' notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The attempt failed as other member countries felt Kashmir is a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan.
The United Nations Security Council on Saturday voted unanimously on a resolution to send an advanced team of "unarmed" observers to Syria to monitor the implementation of cessation of armed violence in the country.
China opposed expansion of the United Nations Security Council in 2005 by prevailing on the United States not to dilute the prime position enjoyed by five veto-wielding members by adding more as it would create "trouble" for them, according to leaked US cable by WikiLeaks.
Taken by surprise by United States President Barack Obama's endorsement of India's bid to gain permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council, the Pakistan foreign office called in the US envoy to convey its concerns over the move.
India, among the few countries to actively engage with the closed military regime that governs Myanmar, will not join the chorus of western voices condemning or criticising the just concluded 'polling' process in that country, in which the main opposition National League for Democracy led by Nobel Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was barred from contesting.
The announcement by the IAF to not send its aircraft for the 'Cobra Warrior' exercise came just three days after it confirmed its participation in the drills from March 6 to 27 at Waddington in the United Kingdom.
United States President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday left for Indonesia after concluding his three-day India visit.
Members of Parliament from diverse parts of India -- from the Naxalite-affected regions to south India -- react to President Obama's speech.
Ahead of his visit, United States President Barack Obama on Wednesday described India as a 'cornerstone' of US' engagement in Asia, but held out no assurances on key issues -- support for India's permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council and ending curbs on the export of dual-use technology.
The United States on Saturday said India's position on the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty will not impact the nuclear agreement between the two countries and expressed hope about moving forward with the landmark agreement."We've said before that the resolution that was passed on Thursday unanimously by the United Nations Security Council does not have any bearing on our bilateral civil nuclear cooperation," said an US official.
"I believe it would a great thing if the president were to do this during his visit," Karl Inderfurth, professor of international relations at George Washington University, told Rediff India Abroad
India has abstained on a draft resolution tabled in the United Nations Security Council which condemned Russia's 'illegal referenda' and annexation of four Ukrainian territories and called for an immediate cessation of violence while underlining the need to find pathways for a return to the negotiating table.
UNSC condemns Ahmadinejad's anti-Israeli statement
India, which remains a strategic partner for the United States, is free to decide on its stance on any particular crisis or contingency around the world, including in the Middle East, the White House has said.
Australia on Thursday supported India's claim for a permanent seat in an expanded United Nations Security Council and said the decision of its ruling party on supplying uranium to New Delhi has removed any "potential irritant" in their growing bilateral relationship. On a three-day visit to India, Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith said the two countries have also agreed to look into prospects of enhancing practical military cooperation by holding bilateral exercises.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Monday once again called on the United States and other developed countries to take a leadership role in ensuring that reform takes place in the United Nations and its Security Council.
India on Tuesday banned exports and imports of all items from North Korea that can be used in nuclear or ballistic missile plans. The Commerce Ministry imposed a blanket ban on "all items, materials, equipment, goods and technologies which could contribute to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's nuclear-related, ballistic missile-related and other weapons of mass destruction-related programmes".
In an unusual gesture, United States President Barack Obama took German Chancellor Angela Merkel for a two-hour dinner at a Washington restaurant on the eve of their crucial official talks at the White House.
United States lawmakers feel that India had also failed to use its non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council to demonstrate why it should be a permanent member
Pakistan and China strongly feel that India should not become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, as it would disturb the balance of power in the region, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Friday.
The United Nations Security Council has unanimously voted to bring to an end the authorised international military action in Libya on October 31, following the death of Muammar Gaddafi that brought an end to the bloody conflict in the country. The resolution passed on Thursday said that the liberation of the North African country after Gaddafi's death offers better prospects for a "democratic, peaceful and prosperous future".
The 193-member general assembly voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to condemn Russia's "illegal so-called referendums in regions within the internationally recognised borders of Ukraine and the attempted illegal annexation of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, following the organisation of the above-mentioned referendums".
Putin justified his decision in a speech blaming NATO for the current crisis and calling the US-led alliance an existential threat to Russia.
Pakistani authorities have detained more than 60 leaders of the outlawed Jamaat-ud-Dawah though no evidence linking them to the Mumbai attacks has been found so far, the interior ministry said on Friday. Intelligence and security agencies have detained the Jamaat leaders, including its chief Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, as part of the ongoing crackdown on the group designated as a terrorist outfit by the United Nations Security Council. Nothing incriminating has been found.
During his inauguration on Monday, President Trump declared a national emergency at the US southern border.
Hosting a summit of leaders of Germany, Japan and Brazil under the G-4 format, the PM said the UNSC "must include the world's largest democracies, major locomotives of the global economy, and voices from all the major continents" to carry "greater credibility and legitimacy".
Criticising the UPA government for its soft approach towards terrorism, Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh on Tuesday alleged that the Central government has neither a policy nor the political will to deal with the menace.
Pakistan's "deceitful stand" on dialogue, while supporting terror and violence, "stands exposed" to the whole world, ministry of external affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told reporters while replying to queries on Khan's remarks.
Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after talks in Beijing between officials from the two rival Middle East powers, Iranian state media reported on Friday.
The government believes that the matter should remain within the jurisdiction of the International Atomic Energy Agency and not be referred to the United Nations Security Council.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, on Tuesday flagged the responsibilities which come along with a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council, saying India may also be required to send its troops on UN-backed missions to defend peace on foreign shores.
Pakistan on Tuesday said it has expressed "serious concern" to the United Nations over a draft bill in the Indian Parliament over the map of Kashmir and called upon the world body to uphold its resolutions and urge India to stop such acts which are in "violation of international law".
