Abe tells UNGA Japan seeks Security Council permanent seat

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has told the UN General Assembly that his country was seeking a permanent seat on the Security Council.

With the Security Council reform process overcoming its first major hurdle with the Assembly endorsing a negotiating text, Abe said on Tuesday that "Japan seeks to become a permanent member of the Security Council and makes a contribution commensurate with that stature".

Japan constitutes with India, Brazil and Germany a grouping known as G4, which advocates for reform and mutually supports each other's candidacy for permanent seats.

Laying out what he said were Tokyo's qualifications for the seat, Abe said Japan has been a peace-loving state for the last 70 years, which has worked to foster peace and prosperity. It has provided support for UN peacekeeping operations and is now clearing a legal path for contributing troops to UN missions, he added.

Japan listens to other countries and believes in all people being allowed to determine their own path, he said.