Chile backs India's permanent UNSC membership, Russia calls it 'legitimate aspiration'

New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS) Chile President Gabriel Boric Font has joined several world leaders, calling for India's inclusion as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Addressing the general debate of the 79th Session of the General Assembly of the UN in New York, Font supported a reform of the United Nations, asserting that "the world has changed a lot" since 1945 when 51 countries, including Chile, took the transcendental step of creating the United Nations.

"I listened attentively this morning to the UN Secretary General, President Lula of Brazil, and President Biden of the United States explicitly expressing their agreement to reform the council according to today's times. Who or what is preventing it? Is there anyone in this assembly who opposes it?" Font questioned during his speech.

"From Chile, I propose that we set a deadline for reform and that when the UN turns 80, it does so with a Security Council in line with the course of current times, in which Brazil from Latin America, India, at least one country from Africa, among others, are part. There is nothing that prevents it, except the lack of our own will," he added.

On Sunday, following his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Quad Summit in Delaware, US President Joe Biden, while expressing his immense appreciation for India's leadership at the world stage, reaffirmed Washington's full support for India's permanent UNSC membership.

"President Biden shared with Prime Minister Modi that the United States supports initiatives to reform global institutions to reflect India's important voice, including permanent membership for India in a reformed U N Security Council," read the Joint Fact Sheet on India-US Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership released after the meeting between the two leaders.

At the same time, given the emerging multipolar world order, Russia has also consistently supported the permanent membership of India in the UN Security Council.

On Wednesday, as he arrived in New York for the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov once again favoured a more representative Security Council with new members drawn from a group of developing countries, including India.

Moscow will support the legitimate aspiration of India, Brazil and one of African countries to join the UN Security Council as permanent members, Lavrov told Russian news agency Tass in an interview.

"Developing countries are under-represented in the Security Council, so, as we have always been saying, we support India and Brazil's interest and legitimate aspiration to be included in the Security Council," the top Russian diplomat said. "However, it is also necessary to satisfy African hopes. There are shared collective positions in Africa which we respect," he noted.

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