Biden as US prez to help India get seat on UNSC
Richard Varma says Biden will fulfil defence partner status
Washington, July 19: Democratic presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden, if elected to power in the November elections, will help shape international bodies like the United Nations so that India get a permanent seat on the Security Council, a former top American diplomat has said.
India has been pushing for reforms of the United Nations, including the Security Council, stating that its composition doesn’t reflect the current realities and is not representative enough. The UNSC has 15 members, including five permanent members — the US, the UK, France, Russia and China.
China is the only permanent member of the UNSC which is opposed to India’s inclusion into the powerful grouping. Half of the
10 non-permanent members are elected every year for a two-year term. India, along with Mexico and Ireland, has been recently elected a non-permanent member for a two-year term starting January 1,
2021. “There’s no question that under his (Biden) leadership, he would help shape international institutions like the UN to give India a (permanent) seat on the Security Council, he would fulfil its (India) status as a major defence partner,” former US Ambassador to India Richard Verma said on Saturday.
“He (Biden) would work together with India to keep our citizens collectively safe. That means standing up against crossborder terrorism and standing with India when its neighbours attempt to change the status quo,” he added. Verma, an IndianAmerican was the US ambassador to India from 2014 to 2017.