Germany repitched its appeal for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council Sunday, following Washington's backing of Asian heavyweights India and Japan for such posts. "Germany is also ready to take on more responsibility," German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said in a statement.
Elected last month as a non-permanent Council member, Berlin has long lobbied for permanent status. "I hope the efforts to reform the Security Council will benefit from a new impetus with the recent declarations of President Obama in India and Japan," Westerwelle said. The UN's main decision-making body, the Security Council has 15 members of which the five with permanent seats - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - have veto rights.