UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Tuesday urged the 191 United Nations member states to smooth their differences over the Security Council expansion and not to let the controversy over the council reform crowd out other UN reform issues.

"I'm confident that the members, realizing what is at stake, will pull together and ensure that we do have a sensible agreement, " Annan told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York, upon his return from a trip to Europe and Africa.

"But they should move on the other clusters as well. And let me say that I see all aspects of the reform as important and we need to be able to give something to the member states -- or the heads of state and government -- when they come in September, to endorse, " he said.

He was referring to the UN summit which will take place in New York in September to mark the 60th anniversary of the world organization.

Annan hoped that member states would conclude their discussions over the outcome document for the September summit as soon as possible.

The General Assembly is scheduled to resume its open debate Tuesday afternoon on a draft resolution submitted by Japan, Germany, Brazil and India, which calls for an increase of six permanent members and four non-permanent members on the Security Council.

The four countries, known as the G-4, have aspired to be permanent members on an expanded council. The council is currently consisting of five permanent members and 10 elected ones with two- year terms.

Source: Xinhua