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Pallone urges US to back India for UN Security Council seat

British Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott had earlier in August informed Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani that the United Kingdom backed India's candidature to the council.

France and Russia have already called for India's permanent inclusion in the Security Council.

"It is time the Bush Administration recognised the importance India plays in the region and the world and supports its bid for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council," Pallone wrote in a letter to US Secretary of State Colin Powell.

"Given the makeup of the council, a strong, friendly India will help US security and geopolitical interests in the region," Pallone said in a statement from Long Branch, New Jersey.

"All five members of the UN Security Council must realise that having India as a permanent security council member will give the South Asian region a stabilising force, helping peace efforts in Central Asia and all parts of our increasingly connected world."

"It is morally wrong to ignore the voice of over one billion Indian people in security decision-making that affects them, and the rest of the world," Pallone stressed.

"India's location, its large population, its history of participating in UN peacekeeping operations, and its leadership in the non-alignment movement all justify its bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council," Pallone said.

Pallone, a founder of the India Caucus in the US House of Representatives, said that since September 11, India has been dedicated to eradicating terrorism not only within its own country, but also throughout the world. India was one of the first nations to say the United States military could use its strategically placed land in its fight against terrorism, he pointed out.

"As the two largest democracies, the United States and India worked together to defeat terrorist cells in Afghanistan and in other areas of the region, including Jammu and Kashmir," Pallone said in his letter.

"The United States' eradication of terrorism in Afghanistan helped stabilise the region, while India's work in ridding terrorist cells in Kashmir in turn helps the United States. As we continue to work together, I am hopeful that we will continue to see positive results," he said.

Pallone reintroduced legislation last year supporting a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council for India. The New Jersey congressman's legislation allows the US House of Representatives to go on record in supporting India's bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

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