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Portugal PM Backs India for Permanent UN Security Council Seat “India Must Be at the Table”
New Delhi : Portugal Prime Minister Luís Montenegro has renewed his call for India to be given a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), saying the Council’s structure needs to become more representative of today’s changing world. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly on September 24, 2026, Montenegro called for permanent representation for Africa, Brazil and India, arguing that reforms are needed to make the Security Council more representative, agile and effective.
The UNSC currently has 15 members, including five permanent members the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom who hold veto power, while 10 non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms. India has long advocated comprehensive reform of the Security Council and permanent membership in an expanded Council, working alongside the G4 grouping of India, Brazil, Germany and Japan.
India’s bid has also received renewed backing from other countries during the current UNGA, including the four Visegrád nations Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic which expressed support for India’s permanent membership earlier this week. Portugal’s latest endorsement adds to the continuing international debate over reforming the UN’s global decision-making institutions, although any expansion of permanent membership would require agreement among UN member states and changes to the UN Charter.
