The new dynamic duo, the United States and India, are a terrifying combination. The former has reaffirmed its support to the latter for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), as the two countries vowed to strengthen bilateral relations. Even though both countries have disagreed over the UN Security Council reforms, the US has made it clear that it is committed to India’s inclusion as a permanent member of the Security Council.
A number of members, including permanent members, have voiced strong disagreements. Pakistan, a member of the Uniting for Consensus group of countries which opposes any additional permanent members on the Security Council, told the 193-member Assembly that the document was partial and incomplete. It could not be the basis for a negotiated solution.
Notwithstanding the strong disagreements over the document, the US is adamant. With the successful conduct of the maiden strategic and commercial dialogue between the two nations, the stage is set for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third summit with President Barack Obama on September 28. The United States also reiterated its support for India’s membership in four major global non-proliferation export control regimes, including the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
Pakistan should be worried. Their joint declaration has identified terrorism as a profound threat to global peace and security and reaffirmed their leaders “Vision to transform the US-India relationship into a defining counter-terrorism partnership for the 21st century”. They have pointed out “the threat posed by entities such as Al Qaeda and its affiliates, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, D Company, and the Haqqani Network, and other regional groups that seek to undermine stability in South Asia”. India now has a powerful ally, and reason to remind us to provide justice for whatever wrong they think we have committed. Both countries have already jointly urged Pakistan to “bring to justice the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai attack”. Modi won’t stop at this.
China and Russia, as permanent members, can and probably will provide balance to US and Indian ambition. However, for the global community, better representation is why the UNSC permanent membership needed to be expanded in the first place. Asia has two permanent member countries; hardly representative of the gigantic continent. South America has none. Europe has two, and Germany has been gearing up for its own bid for a seat. If Europe and South America get better representation, it makes sense that Asia will too. India is the only option then, especially in the eyes of the US, no matter how unfortunate this is for Pakistan.