Clinton backs Germany

BERLIN – Former US president Bill Clinton said that he backed an expansion of the UN Security Council to include Japan and Germany as permanent members, in an interview published today.

Asked about the countries’ troubled bid to gain permanent seats on the Security Council, Clinton told German newsweekly Die Zeit that the body must become more representative to tackle the issues facing it. “Germany should belong, and Japan too,” he said, in comments published in German.”India too, probably.The Latin Americans should get a seat, either for Brazil or a rotating seat.”To address all the regional economic and political problems, including those of Africa, you need a council with 24 members.”He said he did not believe his successor George W Bush was at the root of US resistance to the plan put forward by the so-called G4 – Brazil, Germany, India and Japan – to boost council membership, but moreover the State Department.Efforts to reach a consensus over the proposed expansion of the UN Security Council have reached an impasse ahead of a General Assembly meeting next month.The deadlock is largely due to strong opposition by two veto-wielding permanent council members, China and the United States, to the G4 proposal, which had initially seemed the most promising.- Nampa-AFP”Germany should belong, and Japan too,” he said, in comments published in German.”India too, probably.The Latin Americans should get a seat, either for Brazil or a rotating seat.”To address all the regional economic and political problems, including those of Africa, you need a council with 24 members.”He said he did not believe his successor George W Bush was at the root of US resistance to the plan put forward by the so-called G4 – Brazil, Germany, India and Japan – to boost council membership, but moreover the State Department.Efforts to reach a consensus over the proposed expansion of the UN Security Council have reached an impasse ahead of a General Assembly meeting next month.The deadlock is largely due to strong opposition by two veto-wielding permanent council members, China and the United States, to the G4 proposal, which had initially seemed the most promising.- Nampa-AFP