NEW DELHI, 26 June 2005 — India’s hopes for United States support of its bid for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council were raised yesterday with a top US official saying India meets the criteria laid down by the US. US Under Secretary of State Robert Burns is on a two-day visit to India for consultations on bilateral and other issues with Indian officials.

“India meets the criteria laid down by the US. As to whom the US chooses, will be a political question on which a decision will be taken by the US president,” Burns told Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, according to a spokesman for the India’s External Affairs Ministry. Burns and Saran reviewed several issues of Indian-US relations in meetings held Friday and yesterday, ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said.

He said the reform of the United Nations was a major part of the discussions. “Both sides put forward their perspectives on the issue.”

Sarna said India had updated Burns on the G-4 (Group of Four) countries’ progress in framing their joint resolution for expansion.

The G-4 nations, Germany, Japan, India and Brazil, want the UN Security Council to be increased to 25 seats, including six new permanent ones and four rotating seats. They want four of the six new permanent seats for themselves. Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the US was open to increasing the number of permanent seats by two.

Last week, the US said it would back Japan for one of the seats. However, during his discussions in Delhi, Burns reportedly clarified that the US had not yet decided which country it would support for the second seat.

But, according to Sarna, Burns said India was “a perfect candidate” as it is a large developing country with a substantial population and a democracy with a history of committing resources to the UN and a strong commitment to countering terrorism.

Burns also denied that the US was trying to divide the G4 group by offering a permanent seat to Japan, Sarna said. “He said the US respects the stand taken by the four countries.” The five permanent members of the UN Security Council are presently the US, France, Britain, Russia and China.

Manmohan to Address US Congress

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will address a joint session of the US Congress on July 19 during his three-day US visit that promises to take relations between Washington and New Delhi to a new level.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert Friday told members of the US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC), a lobby group for Indian-Americans, that he was enthusiastic about the visit.

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay too told USINPAC members that he was delighted that Manmohan Singh would address the Congress. “I am looking forward to welcoming him (Manmohan Singh),” he told the members.

A statement by USINPAC said: “This makes this visit a very special occasion and is of great significance to the growing strategic relations between India and the US.”

Co-Chairs of the House Caucus on India and Indian Americans, representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Gary Ackerman, in a letter signed by 70 colleagues, had urged Hastert to schedule a joint session of the Congress for Manmohan during his visit beginning July 18.

Burns Friday summed up the upbeat mood in Washington ahead of Manmohan’s visit as he predicted a “new strategic partnership based on shared values and shared interests”.