Argentina opposes Brazil's bid for permanent UN Security Councilseat
Argentina has for the first time openly voiced its opposition to Brazil's intention to obtain a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, the local press said Saturday.

At Friday's meeting on trade policy between foreign ministers of Latin America and the European Union in Luxembourg, Argentine Foreign Minister Rafael Bielsa said Brazil's bid for a permanent Security Council seat was "arrogant and not democratic."

Any reform within the Security Council should not be based on the enlargement of permanent council members, but should be based on the setting up of temporary seats, Bielsa said.

Brazilian Vice Foreign Minister Samuel Pinheiro Guimaraes said at the meeting that his country hopes to obtain a permanent council seat.

In response to Guimaraes' remarks, Bielsa said that if Brazil obtains a permanent seat, a strong unbalance would occur in relations among Latin American countries.

Brazil has been fighting alongside Germany, Japan and India fora possible UN reform that allows them to become permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Argentina has always been opposed to Brazil's bid for a permanent council seat, but on few occasions openly voiced its opposition.

Last week in Brasilia, Bielsa and his Brazilian counterpart, Celso Amorim, held a meeting on bilateral relations and UN reforms. They agreed to enhance dialogue to ease tension resulting from trade conflicts.

Although Brasilia has not yet responded to Bielsa's comment, analysts said relations between Argentina and Brazil could become tense again after Bielsa forthrightly expressed opposition to Brazil's bid for a permanent council seat.