The Hindu : National : Venezuela backs India for U.N. Council seat

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Sunday, Mar 06, 2005

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National

Venezuela backs India for U.N. Council seat

By Amit Baruah

NEW DELHI, MARCH 5. India's efforts to enter the United Nations' Security Council as a permanent member got a shot in the arm from Latin America, with the visiting President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, strongly backing New Delhi's candidature.

Mr. Chavez, who held talks with the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, told presspersons that India's entry into the Council meant that the interests of weak countries, Third World countries, would be defended.

``India's entry into the Security Council is a way to strengthen and democratise the United Nations,'' he maintained, stating in unambiguous terms Venezuela's support for New Delhi's entry into the Council.

A joint statement issued after the talks stated that the two sides agreed on the urgent need for reforms of the U.N. and the Security Council to reflect the new realities of the international situation.

``The Venezuelan side expressed support to India's candidature for permanent membership of the United Nations' Security Council,'' it added.

As many as six agreements were signed in the presence of the two leaders at Hyderabad House this afternoon, including two in the hydrocarbon sector. One of these agreements is expected to lead ONGV Videsh picking up a 49 per cent stake in a Venezuelan oil field.

The two countries also underlined the need for ``revitalisation'' of the Non-Aligned Movement so that it ``emerges as a major pole in a multi-polar world, by becoming a collective, pragmatic and serious voice of the South.''

``They reiterated the centrality of the United Nations Charter and the principles of international law in the preservation of international peace and security,'' the joint statement said.

Referring to India's growing requirement for oil imports, Mr. Chavez pointed out that the legal and technical groundwork had been done for ONGC Videsh picking up a stake in a Venezuelan oil field.

`Just the beginning'

This, Mr. Chavez promised, was just the beginning of cooperation between India and Venezuela in the hydrocarbons sector. ``Venezuela wants to be a secure, long-term petroleum and hydrocarbon by-products to India.''

Pointing out that Venezuela had recently signed an agreement with China for oil supplies, the President said his country wanted to ``cooperate with our brothers and sisters in the South.''

He also said that Indian and Venezuelan companies were developing the Baghewala oil field in Rajasthan. His country, the President said, had considerable experience in extracting ``heavy crude.''

According to Mr. Chavez, American, European, Russian and Chinese companies were already operating in Venezuela. "So, how come India is not there? The energy is there for us to share.''

The President said the two countries had decided to set up a Joint Commission, which was expected to meet in the next few months in Caracas.

Paying tributes to the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister, Natwar Singh, Mr. Chavez said he would never forget the warmth that had been shown to him in New Delhi. The President said he had developed a ``great, intense'' relationship with Mr. Natwar Singh.

According to him, March 5 was a historic day because the two sides had signed several key agreements.

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