Colombo [Sri Lanka], March 9 (ANI): Leader of the Opposition of Sri Lanka Sajith Premadasa on Monday said that a peace-loving country like India should be made a permanent member in the United Nations.

Premadasa, while talking to ANI, said that Sri Lanka has been a proponent of UN reforms, so that it reflects a pragmatic and realistic reflection of global power realities.

'The United Nations system should also reflect the global power configuration, which is why I have been an open proponent of India being made a permanent member in the United Nations Security Council. As you know very well, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council right now have the major enforcement powers of the UN system. And I certainly think that a peace-loving country such as India must be given its due place because it's a very pragmatic and realistic reflection of global power realities,' he said.

When asked about the role of the UN in the present context of conflicts in the Middle East, Premadasa said that the institution was established with a set of norms that would prevent the use of force.

'The United Nations system of global governance emanated from the post-World War II period. And it was a structure that was established with prescriptive norms, norms that would deprive the use of force, Article 2.4, norms that would prevent intervention in the internal affairs of a state, Article 2.7. Use of force only for self-defence, Article 51. So these norms were initiated and formulated to promote international peace and security. And we have to give credit to the fact that there has not been any major world wars in the post-World War II period up to this date,' he said.

Premadasa said that if the present regional war furthers itself, it would be a very apocalyptic situation.

'But the danger of the present war is the fact that it could convert itself into the furtherance of global power competition amongst the great powers, the superpowers. And it could be a continuation of the Cold War, in fact, transforming the Cold War into a hot war, which is very, very scary, which I believe would be apocalyptic. We must avoid that. To the greatest possible extent, we have to abide by the provisions, the prescriptions that are provided by the United Nations Charter,' he said.

Premadasa called for all nations to act in accordance with the United Nations charter.

'The United Nations Charter has established an international regime of rules, regulations, and norms which protect members of the international community, nation-states in the global community. And we must ensure that the United Nations charter provisions are protected and enhanced to the greatest possible extent,' he said.

The comments come as the US and Israel continue to bombard Iran, with explosions reported in Qom and Tehran, hours after Israeli attacks on oil facilities caused toxic smoke across the Iranian capital. (ANI)