India should be a permanent UNSC member, Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar

"Reform of the UN Security Council should be on the table as soon as possible," he said at the sidelines of the inauguration of the Honorary Consulate of the country in Kolkata.

"I think India should be a permanent member of the Security Council," he said.

He was visiting Kolkata to inaugurate the Honorary Consulate of the country in the eastern Indian city.

As part of this diplomatic expansion, Vivek Lohia, Managing Director of Jupiter Group, has been appointed as the Honorary Consul General of the Slovak Republic in Kolkata.

Apart from Blanar, Ladislav Kamenicky, Minister of Finance of the Slovak Republic,  Róbert Maxian, Ambassador of Slovakia to India, attended the inauguration event.

New Zealand Backs India's UNSC Bid

New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon addressed the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi on Monday when he backed India's bid to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Speaking at the major event, Luxon, who is visiting India for an official trip at the invitation of Indian PM Narendra Modi, said: "Countries like India – that play such a central role in the global community – should have a seat at the table. We’ve therefore long supported India having a permanent seat on a reformed UN Security Council."

Modi Speaks On UN's Relevance

Indian PM Narendra Modi recently appeared in the podcast hosted by American scientist Lex Fridman when he slammed the United Nations and other international organisations and said they have almost lost their relevance in today's world amid rising conflicts.

He said the UN has failed to play its role in the current world order.

He said the international organisations have not seen any reform in recent times.

His comments on the UN's relevance were made when the world has been seeing the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Israel-Gaza clash for several years now.

Speaking to the popular podcaster and scientist, he said: "The international organizations that were formed have become almost irrelevant; there is no reform in them. Institutions like the UN cannot play their role."

"People in the world who do not care about laws and rules are doing everything, no one is able to stop them," he said.

Modi said everyone should leave the path of conflict and follow the way that leads to coordination.

"The path of development will be right, the path of expansionism will not work," he said.

"The world is interdependent, interconnected, everyone needs everyone, no one can do anything alone," he said.

He said he hopes the world will get relief from 'conflict' very soon.

India has been arguing that it deserves a seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for several years now.

India served as a non-permanent member of the body in 2021-22.

UNSC

UNSC is comprised of five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members at present,

The non-permanent members are elected for a term of two years by the UN General Assembly.

The five permanent members of the body are the USA, the UK, China, France and Russia.

They have the power to veto any major resolution.

The UK and France have already voiced their support for India to become UNSC's permanent member.

(Reporting by Supriyo Hazra)