UNITED NATIONS, Dec 8: The envoys from Japan, Germany, India and Brazil on Tuesday stepped up the campaign to secure permanent seats in the proposed expansion of the UN security Council, albeit without a veto.

The ambassadors met UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to lobby for the seats and asked him to quickly open a debate in the General Assembly on the reforms proposed by the high-level panel appointed by him.

Japan and India are also asking for veto powers given the present permanent five members in the 15 member UN Security Council. The panel has recommended that the new permanent members should not be given veto powers now or in the future.

Ambassadors to the United Nations from 11 countries, including Italy and Pakistan, met Mr Annan earlier this month and expressed opposition to Japan, Germany, Brazil and India gaining permanent UNSC membership ahead of other countries.

In an editorial on Tuesday, the New York Times endorsed Japanese bid for the permanent seats but said that India should not be considered for the permanent slot until it signs the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. India, Pakistan and Israel are the last holdouts.