London, July 14 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The inclusion of new permanent members, Brazil among them, on the United Nations Security Council is viewed by the Brazilian government as a point of growing international consensus in the need to make progress in changing the framework of the UN. According to the Minister of Foreign Relations, Celso Amorim, the support given yesterday by British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, to Brazil's entry on the Council demonstrates his willingness to work for a broad reform of the organization. Other countries, such as France, Russia, and Germany, have also already voiced support for Brazil's entry as a permanent member of the Council.

Following this morning's meeting with the Foreign Minister of the United Kingdom, Jack Straw, Amorim avoided commenting British government support of Brazil as a candidate for permanent membership on the Council. "One expresses thanks, not judgements, for support," he argued.

In light of journalists' insistence, however, the Minister affirmed that Brazil and the United Kingdom have "very similar ideas on UN reform." In the Minister's view, the progress of modifying the organization will depend to a great extent upon the poltical will of world leaders. "The effort to reform the UN has already gone on for ten years and has run its course. Leaders have to do what needs to be done, exercising leadership."

Asked whether veto power should be conceded to all countries, Amorim observed that the matter is problematic. "We are realists, and we know that we can't remove the veto power of those countries that already have it, since they would veto the reform of Council itself," he concluded. (DAS)