France Supports India’s Ambition For Permanent Membership In The Reconstituted UNSC, UNSC

According to a joint statement released by the two countries after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with French President Emmanuel Macron, France reiterated its commitment to support India’s bid for permanent membership in a reformed UN Security Council and New Delhi’s admission to the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group. India has been in the vanguard of efforts at the United Nations to press for long-overdue Security Council reform, arguing that it is entitled to a seat at the UN’s high table as a permanent member.

The UNSC currently has five permanent members and ten non-permanent members, all of whom are elected for a two-year term by the United Nations General Assembly.

Russia, the United Kingdom, China, France, and the United States are the five permanent members, and they have veto power over any substantive resolution. To represent the current global realities, there has been a growing demand to raise the number of permanent members.

India and France agreed in a joint statement on Wednesday to continue strong coordination within the G20 framework, while France reaffirmed its unwavering support for India’s ambition for permanent membership in the UN Security Council and participation in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

India has stated that it will continue to interact with NSG members in order to gain support for a quick decision on the country’s bid for membership.

The NSG is a 48-member club of countries that deals with nuclear technology and fissile materials trade, as well as contributing to nuclear weapons non-proliferation.

China, one of the five nuclear-weapon nations, has been vocal in its opposition to India’s NSG request, citing the fact that New Delhi has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). India’s admission into the NSG has been hampered by its objections, as the NSG operates on the basis of consensus.

Prime Minister Modi met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Wednesday, where the two leaders discussed bilateral and global problems in depth and agreed on an ambitious agenda for the next phase of the India-France Strategic Partnership.

Modi, who flew here from Denmark on the final leg of a three-nation European visit, met with Macron on Wednesday night after he was re-elected to the presidency over a week ago.