India, Germany to discuss UN reforms, terror Monday

NEW DELHI - India and Germany, newly-elected members to the UN Security Council, will Monday give a fresh push to the G4 initiative for UN reforms and expand their counter-terror cooperation when External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna holds talks with his German counterpart Guido Westerwelle Monday.

Westerwelle arrives in India Sunday on a three-day visit, his first to the country since he became Germany’s foreign minister nearly a year ago.

The two foreign ministers will discuss a wide array of issues, including the expansion of the UN Security Council, enhanced counter-terror cooperation and the intensification of economic and defence ties.

Early this week, India and Germany were elected as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for 2011-2012 in a vote of the UN General Assembly. Bolstered by their election, India and Germany are set to leverage their position as non-permanent members to push for the process of expanding permanent members the UN Security Council.

Both India and Germany are part of the G4 grouping, which also comprises Japan and Brazil, that is pushing for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.

Issues relating to the UN reforms and developing of economic and defence ties will figure in discussions, external affairs ministry spokesperson Vishnu Prakash told reporters here Friday.

The two sides will seek to boost bilateral business ties when Westerwelle meets Commerce Minister Anand Sharma Tuesday. The two countries, which have set a bilateral trade target of 20 billion euros by 2012, will also seek to scale up their trade and investment.

The two sides recently agreed to set up a hotline at a high government level to resolve visa problems faced by business persons and skilled professionals of the two countries.