New York, Sep 29 (IANS) India Wednesday called for the early conclusion of negotiations for the reform of the United Nations Security Council, stating that there was ‘clear support’ among majority of nations for expansion in both permanent and non-permanent seats.

‘In the inter-governmental negotiations on the issue of Security Council reform, an overwhelming majority of the membership expressed clear support for expansion in both the permanent and the non-permanent categories of the Council along with an improvement of its working methods,’ Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly.

He stresses that it was ‘imperative that we take these negotiations to an early and logical conclusion’.

Krishna pointed out that though issues related to developing nations are taken up by the security council, but their voice in the council ‘on decisions relating to international peace and security is barely audible’.

‘Despite the agenda of the Council being seized of conflicts in Africa, yet there is no permanent member from Africa in the Security Council,’ he said.

India, along with Brazil, Germany and Japan, has been lobbying for the expansion of the United Nations Security Council, especially in the permanent category.