June 19, 2003	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 18, 1424

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WASHINGTON, June 18: The prospect of India being offered a permanent seat in the UN Security Council in return for peacefully resolving the Kashmir dispute was reporte-dly discussed during Indian Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani’s recent visit to Washington.

Mr Advani, who completed a week-long visit to the United States on June 13, earned wild applause from his mainly Indian audience when he hinted in his address to the Indian-American community in Los Angeles that Washington was close to supporting India’s bid.

A prominent Democratic Congressman and founder member of the India Caucus has already introduced a legislation supporting permanent the UN Security Council membership for India.

France and Britain already support India. But so far China has been quiet. As a permanent member of the Security Council, China can block the Indian move, but India’s supporters in Washington say that New Delhi has already started negotiations with China for resolving its border disputes that go back to the Indo-China war of 1962.