Mukherjee hopes India will figure in expanded UNSC

Says that various countries have expressed the desire that India should be a permanent member of the UNSC

President Pranab Mukherjee has expressed hope that India will figure in the expanded United Nations Security Council (UNSC) when reforms of the world body are undertaken.

Briefing reporters on board while returning from his five-day visit to Sweden and Belarus, the President said that both countries have been supportive of India's claim for permanent membership of the UN Security Council.

"Both Sweden and Belarus have reiterated their support but there is a procedure of the reforms of the United Nations...So as and when the security council is expanded, we can expect that India's case will be considered very favourably," he said.

Mukherjee also said that various countries have expressed the desire that India should be a permanent member of the UNSC.

Answering questions of reporters about his speeches in the two countries where he highlighted the threat posed by terrorism, the President said, "we have mentioned about terrorism but every country has their own perception and in the UN when these issues are debated, they express their view.

"But there is an overall desire of the international community to fight this menace. There may be differences in modalities and other things but no country supports terrorism openly."

Terming his deliberations in both the countries as successful, Mukherjee said the state visits were reflection of the renewed emphasis that India places on further enhancing our partnership with these two countries.

"I took the opportunity to brief both leaderships on the economic situation in India as well as about policy initiatives of the government," he said.

India and Sweden signed six intergovernmental agreements, covering cooperation in the fields of urban development, medium and small-scale enterprises, polar research, civil nuclear research and medicine. Seventeen MoUs were further signed between educational institutions, think tanks and the Chambers of Commerce of the two countries.

In Belarus, five agreements and MOUs were signed, covering cooperation in textiles, standardisation, capital markets and broadcasting.

A focused and substantive Roadmap for India-Belarus Cooperation was also agreed, which identifies specific areas for closer interaction in the days ahead.