UN chief lauds India's role in Security Council

New Delhi, April 27 (IANS) Backing the United Nations reforms process, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Friday lauded India's leadership role as a non-permanent member of the Security Council and its contribution during the critical debates in the last year-and-half, particularly during the dramatic transformation in the Arab world.

Ban Ki-moon, who is in India on a four-day visit, said at a press conference here that he was "grateful" to India for "showing leadership" in addressing all global security and human rights issues, "particularly at a time when dramatic transformation" was happening in North Africa and West Asia.

India has been holding the presidentship of the UNSC at present. "I am looking forward to working with the Indian delegation at the UN in the future too," he added.

Recognising that there has been a shift in power balance in the geopolitical and global economic arena, Ban said India is "one of the most significant emerging economies" of the world and it can help the UN programme for sustainable development and in building pluralistic societies around the world.

Taking note of the recent successful test of the 5,000-km Agni-V nuclear-capable missile, he asked India to abibe by its commitments to non-proliferation and noted that he would encourage New Delhi to pursue its bilateral and multilateral engagement with member-nations of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.