Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh has said that the Central government has accorded highest priority to getting permanent membership for India in the United Nations Security Council. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today, Mr Singh said, India remains engaged, both at the bilateral and multilateral level for getting permanent membership as it has all the credentials.

The Minister said, India engages actively in the ongoing Inter-Governmental Negotiations on UNSC reforms. Mr Singh added that India is working alongside other reform- oriented countries through its membership in the G-4 Group (India, Japan, Brazil and Germany) and the L.69 Group (cross- regional group of developing countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America) to build support among the UN Member States for expansion of the UN Security Council along with the Global South. He informed that a large number of countries have supported India’s initiatives for reform of the UNSC as well as endorsed its candidature for permanent membership.