Germany is drawing on its close ties with France to strengthen its bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, diplomats confirmed yesterday.

Over the past four weeks German ambassadors in most of the UN's 192 member countries have lobbied their host governments to support Berlin's UN ambitions, and in each case did so with French support.

In an unusual initiative, German ambassadors were accompanied to foreign ministry meetings throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America by their French counterparts.

The German and French governments have worked closely in recent years on bilateral and European Union issues, but this initiative is explicit confirmation of France's support for Germany's bid.

The two countries have also submitted a joint proposal on UN Security Council reform to the panel appointed by Kofi Annan, UN secretary-general, to examine the issue. The panel is set to report in December.

France holds a permanent Security Council seat and German officials have been concerned that, despite the close bilateral ties, France may be reluctant to water down its privileged status by backing an enlargement of the Security Council.

"We are in favour of an enlargement both in terms of its permanent and non-permanent members," the Foreign Office said in Paris.