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April      Last updated: April 29,  5:00 p.m.

R.B.L. Nigam

Shri Robin Cook, British Foreign Secretary during his recent visit to India gave a new diamension to the Indo-UK ties. He said: India is a natural contender for membership of the UN Security Council. This has been interpreted in official circles as British support for India.

Does this mean Britain will lobby for India, or does it only mean: "Yes, India is a contender, we acknowledge it, but go and fight it out"?

"These are two extreme positions", Cook said, and explained the British stand which is somewhere in-between. The US, he said, was earlier insistent that the Security Council should not be so unwieldy. Germany and Japan were Washington's choice. But the US has softened its position and is now considering a larger Council. The discussion as it stands now would allow for one member each from Asia, South America and Africa. From Asia there is a place for another member, besides Japan. For this slot, India is a "natural contender".

Cook agreed this could be a tough task. But he also said that "India because of its size, its economy, and its participation in peace-keeping operations should be a natural contender".