India must get permanent UN seat, says Walter J Lindner

Germany's new ambassador to India, Walter J Lindner, has said India must have a permanent seat in the UN Security Council as its absence hurts the credibility of the UN system.

"India must have a permanent seat in the UN Security Council. India with 1.4 billion people is not yet a permanent member, this is unheard of. This can't go on like this because it hurts the credibility of the UN system," he said. At present, there are five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — China, France, Russia, UK and the US.

Lindner, who presented his credentials to the President in Hindi on Tuesday, also said Chancellor Angela Merkel visit India at the end of the year. "We have not yet fixed the date, but it will be October and November," he said.

Speaking to WION, he said the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections in India was the biggest in humankind. "Never before so many people have voted, and the way it was organised, all these voting machines and these different voting dates. It's a world record for organising elections. So congratulations. We are confident, that whoever wins will always have strong ties with Germany and continue the close cooperation," he said.

The envoy also said that his country was supportive of the listing of JeM chief Masood Azhar at the UN as a global terrorist. "We were in close contact with India and other nations (over the listing). We will continue to work on this (anti-terror) cooperation because terrorism has to be removed from the surface of this planet," he said.

THEY SAID IT

• The new German envoy to India presented his credentials in Hindi.
   
• He said it’s “out of respect for the country”, and that it’s a “great language”.
   
• He also said he’s always tried to pick up the language wherever he is stationed.

(With inputs from PTI)