Visiting U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori agreed Tuesday to push forward reforms of the United Nations, although Annan stopped short of saying he supported Tokyo's proposal for a 24-seat Security Council and a permanent seat for Japan.
During their afternoon talks at the Prime Minister's Official Residence, Mori told Annan of Japan's desire to increase the total number of UNSC seats to 24 -- with the number of permanent seats increased to 10 from the current five and the rotating seats to 14 from the current 10 -- a Foreign Ministry official said.
The five permanent members are the United States, Russia, Britain, France and China. Japan is hoping for a permanent-member seat with the increase.