G4 Group to Present UN Reform Plans

The so-called G4 group -- Brazil, Germany, India and Japan -- will present plans supporting their push to win permanent UN Security Council seats in July, their foreign ministers said. The four countries, whose ministers met on the sidelines of a conference on Iraq in Brussels, want the Security Council to be increased from its current 15 members to 25, increasing the number of permanent seats by six. Under the G4's proposal, four new permanent positions would go to the countries who are proposing, with two other new permanent positions to go to African nations. German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer confirmed the plan for a July presentation. "We were of the joint opinion to lay down the timeframe, which means to come towards a decision (on presenting the plan) after the African Union and Carribbean states summit meetings." Germany last week criticized the US proposal, saying it failed to correct its current "imbalance." "We have our doubts as to whether Germany's fundamental concerns can be taken into account with the limit to two further permanent" seats, said deputy government spokesman Thomas Steg in Berlin.