'UN reforms aim to accomodate India's aspirations'

Acknowledging that the United Nations Security Council did not reflect present-day realities, India's nominee for Secretary General's post Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said the world body was looking at reforms that will enable New Delhi to fulfill its 'legitimate aspirations.'

• 'India has fair chance for UN top job'

"The debates amongst member states on that issue (of Security Council expansion) are fundamentally important and what is more we are looking at a reform, which will have to be such a formula that will allow many countries, including India, to fulfill their legitimate aspirations," he told reporters after an hour-long meeting with Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha L K Advani in New Delhi.

Pitching for urgent reforms of the UNSC, he said the Council reflected geo-political realities that had existed six decades ago.

• 'My candidature won't dilute seat bid'

"The question of reform of the Security Council is one that is fundamental to a large number of countries, not just to India, because the Security Council reflects the geo-political realities of 1945 and not of today," Tharoor, who is also the UN's Under Secretary General, said.

Also, Tharoor ruled out that his candidacy for the top job at the UN would impact India's bid for the Security Council.

"Very simply there is no connection between what we are trying to do with this (Secretary General's post) and the long-standing position on Security Council...that issue of council reforms is a larger issue, it would continue," he said.

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Tharoor, who also met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday evening, maintained that the UNSC reform process would not change because of 'one race" for the Secretary General's post.

"The Secretary Generalship is very much a matter of today. We have to settle it one way or the other in the next few months," he said.

"We discussed a number of matters of mutual interest, above all, of course, the question of my candidacy for the position of Secretary General of the United Nations. I sought his blessings and I have them and I leave very satisfied with full vibrating discussions with the Advani," he said.