India seeks EU support for permanent seat in UN

India seeks EU support for permanent seat in UN
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

LISBON, JUNE 28: India on Wednesday made a strong plea to the European Union to support its case for a permanent seat in an expanded UN Security Council and join hands in fighting the scourge of international terrorism, which poses the biggest danger to global peace and stability.

Stating that reforming the United Nations was a crucial element towards a new multi-polar world order, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee told the first-ever India-EU summit that "India, as the world's largest democracy and rapidly growing economic power, has a natural claim to a permanent seat in the UN Security Council".

Without naming Pakistan, Vajpayee said "differences between us can only be resolved through bilateral negotiations. There is no room for any third-party involvement, however well-intentioned."

Terrorism posed as great a threat to the European Union as to India, he said, stressing the need for the two to work together to counter the menace.

"We must collectively expose and reject attempts to cloak terrorism as jehad (holy war). This is something that cannot be accepted as civilised conduct among nations," he said.

He said it was a matter of satisfaction that India and EU have resolved to work together on the convention on terrorism that will be negotiated in the UN General Assembly later this year.

Vajpayee said since the establishment of the UN in 1945 to achieve the noble objectives of peace, economic prosperity and cooperation among nations, the world has changed, as has the international order.

But, he said, these changes are not reflected in the structure of the Security Council and added the council must reflect the new realities.

Vajpayee said that in the increasingly inter-dependent world, a plural security order alone can deal with the challenges of the new era and the development of "our nuclear capability should be seen" in this context.

"It is part of our resolve to build a multi-polar world where we have strategic space and autonomy in decision-making. Our view of regional security goes beyond the passive absence of conflict to the active building of confidence with our neighbours," Vajpayee told the Summit, also attended by Portuguese Premier Antonio Guterres in his capacity as EU president and president of European Commission Romano Prodi.

He said for more than a decade, India had been a victim of cross-border terrorism, which has killed thousands.

Vajpayee appreciated the role played by the EU during the Kargil conflict and hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane. "Kargil was a violation of trust, a rude setting aside of the hand of peace that I had extended in February 1999 when I travelled from Delhi to Lahore. That journey was a demonstration of our sincere commitment to peace, a commitment betrayed by Kargil.

"More than aggression on our territory, it was a transgression of our trust. This breach, you will agree, is much more difficult to repair," the Prime Minister said.

He said India and EU should cooperate closely to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons by adopting an international Programme of Action of agreed measures.

On the economic ,front Vajpayee said in order to benefit equitably from global trade and commerce, both India and EU must ensure genuine multilateralism.

"The tendency of non-tariff barriers to preserve market and perpetuate the current balance of trade should be resisted by all," he said.

Vajpayee also urged the EU to provide better market access to Indian products and services through more transparent and predictable standards and requirements, saying: "It is our expectation that the European Union will institute appropriate mechanisms for advance consultations so that precipitate actions in matters of trade can be avoided."

Stating that tremendous potential for strengthening bilateral economic relations existed, Vajpayee said that some of the trade issues that have persisted would be overcome.

He made specific reference to the release of exceptional flexibilities on textiles to India and the problems New Delhi faced on anti-dumping and anti-subsidies procedures.