India and Germany decided to stay in "close contact" and work with other G-4 members--Japan and Brazil-- to impart fresh momentum to their efforts for reforms of the UN Security Council as both sides discussed ways to strengthen their strategic cooperation.
Both India and Germany were recently elected as non-permanent members of UNSC for two years--2011 and 2012.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who is in New Delhi on a three-day visit, met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and held talks with his Indian counterpart S M Krishna, after which both sides inked an MoU on celebrating a Year of Germany in India in 2011-2012 and a Year of India in Germany in 2012-2013, marking 60th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.
Besides expansion of the United Nations Security Council, both sides also focused on enhanced counter-terror cooperation, the Iranian nuclear issue, climate change and intensification of economic and defence ties.
Later at a press conference, Westerwelle said the two sides also discussed non-proliferation and disarmament, maintaining that both were "two sides" of the same coin. Noting that India was not a member of Non-proliferation Treaty, he said "we acknowledge its efforts to support non-proliferation. We would like to encourage India to move even closer to international non-proliferation system. We are encouraged by signs that India could be prepared to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. That will be a very important step forward to our German position."
However, he said it was up to Indian government to make its position clear on these issues. Germany supported the waiver granted for India by Nuclear Suppliers Group in September 2008 for world atomic commerce. Though India adheres to a voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing, it has refused to sign CTBT, terming it as discriminatory.
However, when asked why is it that on one hand his country wants India to sign CTBT and on the other it still supplies defence and other equipments to it, the Minister said "these are two different matters." "I am very much convinced that we Germans have the best products and reliable and it has nothing to do (with other issue," he said.
Asserting that UN architect reflects the scenario of post-second World War where many emerging powers such as Africa and Asia were "under represented", he said the two countries have agreed to stay in "close contact" with each other on the issue of UN reforms and probably, a meeting will take place in the next few months to work with other G-4 members to work in this direction.
Describing India as "country on the rise", both in economic and political terms, the visiting Minister said the projection of 9 percent growth for year and its recent election as a non-permanent member of UNSC with overwhelming majority speaks in "clear and telling language that India is the country of the future".
On counter-terror cooperation, Westerwelle said Germany was willing strengthen the ties and was willing to share intelligence information.
Image: German Foreign Minister Guido addresses a news conference in Berlin
Photograph: Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters
