“At some point, there needs to be a revision of the UN bodies… India not having a permanent seat on the Security Council, despite being the most populous country on Earth, is absurd,” Musk posted on his platform X on Monday, appearing to be responding to a similar post by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
Earlier, Guterres, without mentioning India, had tweeted, “How can we accept that Africa still lacks a single Permanent Member in the Security Council? Institutions must reflect today’s world, not that of 80 years ago.”
Musk, who is South Africa-born, agreed, saying, “Africa collectively should also have a permanent seat imo (in my opinion).”
In his post, Guterres said that September’s Summit of the Future at the United Nations “will be an opportunity to consider global governance reforms & re-build trust.”
No one is holding breath expecting any breakthrough at the September summit.The US, which has to take the lead in the matter, will be in the throes of an election campaign, Russia is mired in war, and China is expected do what it can to stymie India.
France and Great Britain, both declining world powers, will also resist ceding their veto despite homilies about the need for reform and accommodating India.
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“Problem is that those with excess power don’t want to give it up,” Musk said in his post without naming any country.
The Tesla honcho has taken to expressing his views on a wide range of subjects lately, including on international politics and global governance. He has also shown a liking for India and things Indian, saying, at one point, that he’s “incredibly excited about the future of India.” and “India has more promise than any large country in the world.”
Incredibly excited about the future of India: Elon Musk
He also said he has met Prime Minister Narendra Modi several times, and is his fan. Modi visited the Tesla factory in Fremont, California, early in his prime ministership.
Musk also met Modi in during the Indian Prime Minister’s state visit to the US last summer. “Great meeting you today @elonmusk! We had multifaceted conversations on issues ranging from energy to spirituality,” Modi had tweeted after the meeting, while Musk publicly declared that Modi cared for India and was pressing him (Musk) to make investments in the country.
Yet, Tesla has struggled to get going in India, ostensibly in the face of regulatory hurdles, although Musk’s other company SpaceX tied up with ISRO to launch a communication satellite using its Falcon 9 rocket. His satellite Internet service Starlink is also angling for a licence to operate in India.
While Musk himself has revealed that Modi is “pushing us to make significant investments in India,” some reports suggest he is close to committing more than $ 30 billion for his India operations, with social media scuttlebutt centering around this push for his canvassing for a UNSC seat for New Delhi.
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