Italië wenst zetel voor Europese Unie in VN-Veiligheidsraad (en)

The Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini is adding pressure on Germany to step back from its plans to secure a permanent seat in the UN inner circle, the Security Council.

In an article published today (27 September) in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Mr Frattini warns of national egoism. Getting a European Union permanent seat in the Security Council is anything but impossible, he argues.

"The prospect of a European seat in the Security Council is anything but impossible. But it might be if we get stuck in the one-way street of national egoism", Mr Frattini writes.

"Such a position would destroy any hope that Europe could one day speak with a single voice in the United Nations", he continues.

Speaking at the UN's 59th general assembly in New York last week (23 September) German foreign minister Joschka Fischer called for fundamental reforms in the UN and repeated Germany's demand to have a permanent seat in the powerful UN Security Council.

His demands were supported by French foreign minister Michel Barnier and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, while Italy is firmly opposed.

Reform of the Security Council has been debated for years. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has set up an expert commission to propose changes, possibly to report in December.

Italy fears it would be left behind by Germany's promotion. As a result Italy, Mexico and Pakistan has backed a plan that would create a three-tier system in the powerful UN Security Council: the permanent members, four- or five-year members and two-year members.

Changes to the UN Security Council require a two-thirds majority in the 191-nation General Assembly and the agreement of all five permanent members; China, France, the United Kingdom, the United States and Russia.