|
"I don't think the process of Security
Council reform can be pushed through India's presidency
of the Security Council," India's Permanent
Representative Hardeep Singh Puri said in an interview
July 29 with UN Radio on the eve of taking over
the UNSC presidency for the month of August.
But "what we can do is to conduct our presidency
in a manner which provides a clear message to
all that India is a country which not only has
the credentials but the political maturity to
supervise the work of the Council and which in
turn re-establishes the message that we have the
credentials to be a permanent member," he
said.
Asked about India's priorities, Ambassador Puri
said: "Every country, which has the presidency,
naturally pursues its own favourite themes or
priorities. We are going to deal with peacekeeping"
on which there will be an open debate on August
26.
The envoy said he was particularly worried about
the situation in Libya. "With the month of
Ramadan, the month of prayer and fasting starting
on the 1st of August, we would be happy if there
could cessation of hostilities for the month of
Ramadan in Libya."
Puri was "candid enough to admit" that
he did not think that India's "presidency
will provide a boost to the process of Security
Council reform and India's claim for permanent
membership".
Agreeing with the interviewer's assessment that
it's quite incredible that a country of India's
importance hasn't been on the Security Council
for 19 years, Puri said: "Specific reasons
for India not having been on the Council have
something to do with the manner in which the Council
is presently structured."
"We are hoping to utilise our stay on the
Council not only to re-establish our credentials
but also to see what can be done for us to have
a more enduring presence which, of course, will
come through the issue of Security Council reforms,"
he said noting that the reform process takes place
through the General Assembly.
(IANS)
|
