Portugal will bid for the non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for a two-year term starting in 2011, diplomatic officials said Thursday.
Canada and Germany are Portugal's main competitors in its bid for a seat in the UN's "western group" of north American and European countries, the local press quoted the officials as saying.
Portugal launched its candidacy last year. The five permanent members of the Security Council, namely the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain, are of maximum weight in the decision.
The 10 non-permanent UNSC members are elected every two years and currently include South Africa, Belgium, Slovakia, Ghana, Indonesia, Italy, Panama, Peru, Qatar and the Republic of Congo.
Portugal served as a non-permanent UNSC member from 1997 to 1998, when East Timor's situation was one of Portugal's main issues on its foreign policy agenda.
Taking advantage of its membership in the Security Council, Portugal promoted negotiations with Indonesia and persuaded former President B.J. Habibie to endorse the independence of East Timor, a former Portuguese colony, in 1999.
Source: Xinhua
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