Irish PM bats for India getting permanent UNSC seat, expansion of trade ties

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny on Wednesday said that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the United Nations should recognise the geopolitical realities of massive countries like India, and make them permanent members, and added that the opportunities for the smaller countries should also not diminish at the UNSC.

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"We also discussed that question of the reform of the United Nations, the Security Council. We recognise that changes that take place, on one hand should not diminish the opportunity of small countries in the Security Council and on the other hand should recognise the geopolitical realities of massive countries like India," Kenny said at a joint media interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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Kenny said that several issues of mutual interest to the two countries were discussed between him and Prime Minister Modi, including ways to take bilateral trade ties forward.

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"The Prime Minister is very well versed on the challenges Ireland has faced; on the difficult choices that our government had to make. Now, that the economy is growing, we see opportunities for trade bilaterally in education, tourism, and the changes we made in the visa structure," he said.

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"We see real opportunities for Irish skills, Irish IT, Irish innovation work with India in terms of many of the Prime Ministers, real passions, the cleaning of the Ganges, hygiene water where innovative Irish companies have made breakthroughs," he added.

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He also said that the issue of non-recognition of medical internships was also discussed, and added that the matter would be taken up by Irish Health Minister Leo Varadkar when he visits India.

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"Minister Sullivan is to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), and to do so will travel to India at an appropriate time. I have formally invited the Indian President to visit Ireland, and Prime Minister is happy to convey that," he said.

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"We look forward to increase in number both of Indian students who come here and increasing number of Indian tourists," he added.

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Prime Minister Modi arrived here today on the first leg of his two-nation trip to Ireland and United States.

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This is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ireland in 60 years.