PM Modi to Meet G4 leaders, Security Council Reforms on Agenda

New York: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's last official engagement in New York on Saturday will be a special summit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.

The three nations, along with India, comprise what is known as the G-4 group - countries which back each other's bid for permanent seats at the UN Security Council. The Security Council, a powerful world body, is in charge of international peacekeeping and making changes in the UN charter.

India is making a strong bid for a permanent seat in an expanded Security Council, which currently had five members -- China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

In his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, PM Modi made a strong pitch for reforms in the security council.

"We must reform the United Nations including its Security Council so that it carries greater credibility and legitimacy and will be more representative and effective in achieving our goals," he said.

The UN General Assembly has already adopted a negotiating document for the long-pending reforms of the powerful wing of the world body and the US, one of the council's permanent members, has said it is committed to India's inclusion as a permanent member.

India's Permanent Representative to the UN Asoke Mukerji has said the main focus of the G4 summit is to "build" on the UNGA's adoption of the negotiating text on UNSC reforms.

"Our effort will be that by the end of the 70th session in September 2016, the final text should be tabled in the Assembly for adoption," he had said.

As the single largest contributor to the UN Peacekeeping operations, India is likely to seek an enhanced role in the UN's decision making process. PM Modi is expected to make a statement on September 28 at the UN Peacekeeping Summit convened by US President Barack Obama in New York.