LONDON — Barack Obama's visit to India last week ended on a high note. After downplaying expectations for some months now, the U.S. president made all the right noises in his address to the Indian Parliament.
The most significant was his declaration that the United States will back India's bid for a permanent seat on an expanded U.N. Security Council. It was a major policy shift that India has long been clamoring for and Washington has been reluctant to offer.
In looking "forward to a reformed Security Council" that includes India as a permanent member, he warmed the hearts of Indian policymakers who have long viewed American support as a litmus test. There was no hesitation in Obama's gesture, which was probably the strongest endorsement the U.S. has given yet to any state for permanent U.N. membership.