President Joe Biden‘s administration supports building a consensus for a modest expansion of the United Nations Security Council for both permanent and non-permanent members, the US State Department said on Thursday.

In his daily news conference, State Department spokesperson said, “We support building a consensus for modest enlargement of the Security Council for both permanent and non-permanent members, provided it does not diminish its effectiveness or its efficacy and does not alter or expand the veto,” according to PTI inputs.

Talking about India, who is the president of the UN Security Council for the month of August, Price said he is looking forward to working with the country in the upcoming sessions.

“We value working with India at the United Nations, including in the context this month of the Security Council. We believe that a reformed Security Council that is representative, that is effective, and that is relevant is in the best interest of the United States and all of the UN member states. And we look forward to the opportunity to work very closely with India in the context of the Security Council in the coming weeks,” he added.

India and the United States, he said, have a number of shared values and shared interests with their Indian counterparts and Indian partners.

“Indeed, we have a comprehensive strategic partnership with India that unites us on many levels that we are seeking to deepen and strengthen on many levels as well. And we are very much looking forward to working very closely with the Indian Government in the context of the UN and the Security Council this month,” Price said.

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The UN Security Council is composed of 15 members, including five permanent member states – China, France, Russian Federation, the United States, and the United Kingdom – and 10 non-permanent member states elected by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Ten non-permanent members are elected to the UNSC every year for a two-year term. India’s current term began on January 1 of this year and will last until December 31, 2023.