The Indian government has said securing a permanent seat for the country on an expanded United Nations Security Council (UNSC) remains a top priority, with New Delhi continuing to engage with all five permanent members of the council.
Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said India was pursuing the issue through both bilateral and multilateral channels, including at the highest levels.
India engages all five permanent UNSC members
The government said India’s diplomatic efforts include engagements with all five permanent members of the UNSC, namely the US, Russia, China, the UK and France.
The response came after Lok Sabha member Ramprit Mandal asked about the initiatives being undertaken to secure permanent membership for India and whether China was unlikely to support New Delhi’s bid.
The government did not directly address the question of whether China would support India’s permanent membership.
Instead, it reiterated that India was consistently pursuing its case with countries across bilateral and multilateral forums.
India calls for expanded UNSC
The government said India believes it has "all the credentials" to become a permanent member of a reformed and expanded UNSC that reflects present-day global realities.
New Delhi has also been calling for an expansion of both the permanent and non-permanent categories of membership, with greater representation for developing countries and the Global South.
India has advocated for the early start of text-based negotiations on UNSC reform, along with clearly defined timelines and milestones.
UNSC expansion requires UN Charter amendment
The government said expanding the Security Council would require an amendment to the United Nations Charter.
India has maintained that reform of the council is necessary to make it more representative of the current international order.
Sweden backs India's permanent UNSC seat
Sweden’s outgoing Ambassador to India, Jan Thesleff, has expressed support for New Delhi’s push for a permanent seat on a reformed United Nations Security Council (UNSC), saying India deserves a greater role in global decision-making.
Speaking to ANI ahead of the end of his tenure in New Delhi, Thesleff also highlighted defence manufacturing, innovation and strategic cooperation as important areas shaping the India-Sweden relationship.
He said Sweden expects defence ties with India to deepen further, particularly as Swedish companies expand their manufacturing presence in the country under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
