The Hindu : International : U.N. seat: U.S. boosts hopes of Germany

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Wednesday, Jun 29, 2005

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International

U.N. seat: U.S. boosts hopes of Germany

New "warmth" in relationship

WASHINGTON: President George W. Bush and Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on Monday highlighted a new warmth in U.S.-German relations as Mr. Bush promised the United States would not block a German bid for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council.

Reforms to the United Nations dominated what Mr. Bush called ``frank'' talks at the White House between the two leaders, who had been divided over German opposition to the U.S. war in Iraq.

``We oppose no country's bid for the Security Council,'' Mr. Bush said to the obvious delight of the German leader who faces a tough re-election test in September.

Germany has been part of a campaign with Brazil, India and Japan to get permanent seats on the Council though it has withdrawn demands for a veto on resolutions that the five current permanent members get.

The United States has so far only endorsed Japan to join Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States as a permanent member.

``I was very pleased indeed to hear that there was no opposition, vis-a-vis Germany as such, from the President,'' Mr. Schroeder said through an interpreter.

``We are very much in agreement that this reform is duly and urgently needed. And it has always been clear that it is first the reform and then the candidacies to potential seats'' that must be decided, Mr. Schroeder said.

``If you ask me about whether I see differences, I'd possibly say there are differences in the timing; we were pushing to have things happening very quickly,'' the Chancellor added.

Mr. Schroeder said he had pleaded Germany's case for a permanent seat to Mr. Bush by highlighting its contribution to stabilisation efforts in Afghanistan and the Balkans and to reconstruction efforts in Iraq.

``Since we're doing all these things internationally, we would very much hope that at some point in time we could also have a right to representation on the Security Council if there were the space,'' he said.

The White House meeting added momentum to the Washington-Berlin thaw after their dispute over Iraq.

Mr. Bush and Mr. Schroeder last met in Germany in February. They will meet again at the Group of Eight industrial powers' summit in Scotland next week.

Mr. Schroeder needs good news as Germany will hold a general election in September and Mr. Schroeder's Social Democratic Party (SPD) trails the conservative Christian Democrats in opinion polls.

``As we say in Texas, `This won't be his first rodeo','' commented Mr. Bush when asked about the Chancellor's election hopes.

The U.S. administration is also closely watching efforts by Germany, Britain and France to convince Iran against developing nuclear weapons — efforts that will attract even more attention after the election of hardliner Mahmood Ahmadinejad as Iran's President.

Mr. Bush said the United States would maintain its support for the European trio though the message to Iran remained blunt. — AFP

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