"Our shoulders are broad enough to take on our new larger responsibilities," external affairs minister S.M. Krishna said on Wednesday morning, referring to India beginning a two-year term in the UN Security Council in January as a non-permanent member.
He said this was a "decisive stage" in the country's quest for permanent membership, for which it had become a "strong contender".
Speaking at a breakfast meeting with editors here on Wednesday morning, Mr Krishna also dismissed as "kite-flying" speculative reports on the eve of US President Barack Obama's India visit in November that the United States would support permanent membership if New Delhi were to agree to make concessions on Kashmir. "I don't believe there is a grain of truth in it." The US, he said, had made it clear that India should sort out issues relating to Kashmir bilaterally with Pakistan.
Mr Krishna also announced that since December would be a busy time in New Delhi diplomatically with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and both Vladimir Putin and Dmitri Medvedev of Russia due to be in town, soon after the US President's visit, Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi's scheduled visit would now take place only early next year. Mr Krishna had in July invited the Pakistani minister to India later this year.
He hoped that the US President's forthcoming visit would "strengthen the strategic partnership" between the two countries, but in reply to a question said he could not "quantify" what the visit would yield.
Mr Krishna said when he met President Obama in New York last month, "he told me has was looking forward to the visit to India... I told him India was also eagerly looking forward to his visit."
In response to another question, Mr Krishna said while Indian officials would try to allay American concerns over certain provisions of the Nuclear Liability Bill, recently passed by Parliament, there was no question of considering any amendments to the legislation.
US companies wishing to do nuclear business with India have expressed certain apprehensions about the law, and the minister had been asked if the matter would come up during the Obama visit.
"The question of amendments was never on the cards," the minister said. The US, which had its own congressional process, was fully aware how the legislation had finally been passed in Parliament, he indicated.
Foreign secretary Nirupama Rao, who was also present, said India had clearly told the US that it would create a level playing field for all companies, including American ones. "We were able to clarify doubts about a couple of aspects in the bill ... We are not talking of amendments to the bill, certainly not. There is no question of amending the bill. I don't think you can try to conclude that we are trying to fix something outside the bill. The intention is to discuss it with them, not to amend the bill. That has been made clear to the US administration," she said.