India welcomes:

India welcomes Pakistan's UNSC seat

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, The Hindu
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Sources feel both countries will have similar positions on most issues

India has welcomed Pakistan's winning a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for 2012-13. “The election of Pakistan will give us new opportunities to work together on issues of concern to them and us. Pakistan would also be with India on thematic issues like peacekeeping and counter-terrorism,” said government sources.

Pointing out that Kyrgyzstan, the sole rival, was no match for Pakistan, the sources drew attention to Pakistan's Permanent Representative Hussain Haroon publicly thanking his Indian counterpart Hardeep Puri for New Delhi's backing. “One issue [Kashmir], which people say is contentious between the two, has technically been on the table for more than 60 years. Nothing has happened on that and there is unlikely to be any movement for a long time to come. Otherwise, Pakistan and India are likely to have similar positions on all other issues,” said the sources.

“Hypothetically, had Pakistan been with India on the UNSC during the current year, without fear of contradiction we can say that their votes on dozens of resolutions and Presidential statements would have been identical on issues like Syria, Lebanon or Cote d'Ivoire,” they said.

India's two-year term as non-permanent member of the UNSC began in January this year while Pakistan will begin its term from January 1, 2012. It would be the fourth time both countries were simultaneously on the UNSC.

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