Influential American lawmakers have welcomed US President Barack Obama's endorsement to India's bid for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, saying that the world body should reflect the realities of the 21st century.
"I endorse President Obama's support for India's inclusion as a permanent member of a reformed and expanded United Nations Security Council. The UN must reflect the realities of the 21st century, and one of those realities is India's unquestioned global stature," Senator John Kerry, who is the chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said.
"President Obama's endorsement of India not only recognizes its role on the international stage but is also a logical move to enhance global and American security by giving a stronger voice to one of our close allies," said Senator Robert Menendez, who is also a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
"India is the world's second most populous nation, a key economic player and vital to the stability of an important region. Simply put, India is a critical nation for global security, and it makes eminent sense to include it on the short list of nations that should have a permanent seat on an expanded Security Council," he said.
Top Republican leader John McCain, had last week asked Obama to endorse India for the UN Security Council. Though McCain is understood to have welcomed the Obama announcement in this regard, no immediate statement was available from him.
"The United States should fully back India's pursuit of permanent membership on the UN Security Council," McCain said in his speech at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, last Friday -- the day Obama left for India.
"If we want India to join us in sharing the responsibilities for international peace and security, then the world's largest democracy needs to have a seat at the high table of international politics," he said.
McCain's endorsement for India's bid for the UNSC gains significance given the bipartisan nature of support on Indo-US relationship between and the emergence of Republican Party as a strong force after the mid-term polls.