Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark on Tuesday supported to India's claim to the permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council, saying the powerful body needs to be expanded.

Speaking on the sidelines of an event here, she said India is the world's most populous nation, a major geopolitical force and a major economic force in the world.

"The (UN) Security Council is outdated as it reflects the 1945 post-war settlement when many countries like India were under colonial rule. It needs to be expanded with its current membership and should include India," Clark told PTI on India's non-permanent candidature for 2028-29 UNSC term.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the celebrations of International Yoga Day at the North Lawn of UN headquarters on June 21, Clark said she hopes the IYD goes very well. "I'm very sensitised to the benefits of Yoga as my father-in-law was a Yoga teacher. I hope that the International Yoga Day goes very well," she said.

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