Will US back India for UNSC seat?

Ambassador David Mulford says US will consider the issue after Annan issues his own report on the matter.

The US will consider supporting India for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council after examining a second report on reforming the world body, the American envoy said on Thursday.

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Ambassador David Mulford told reporters in New Delhi that the US administration would consider the issue after UN Secretary General Kofi Annan issued his own report on the issue in March.

"The administration will also take into account the views of the US Congress," he said.

Mulford's remarks came shortly after a four-member US congressional delegation, currently touring India, expressed support for India being given permanent membership of the Security Council with veto power.

"There is no tier position. If a country is on (the Security Council), it will have the same powers as others," Senator Sam Brownback told a news conference on Thursday.

A high-power UN panel had submitted to Annan last year a report that contained two recommendations on reforming the world body.

It suggested creating six new permanent members of the Security Council but without veto power, while the alternate proposal was to create eight new seats whose occupants will serve four years each, instead of the current two.

In December, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his support for permanent Security Council membership with veto power to India, but the US has so far not commented publicly on the issue.

The US has, however, said it supports Japan for a permanent Security Council seat.