Hungarian Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai on Monday informed UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon about his country's plan to apply for Security Council membership in 2012-13, government spokeswoman Bernadett Budai told MTI.

Hungary has negotiated with several countries and plans to consult with others about the issue, she said.

The last time for Hungary to be a non-permanent member of the Security Council was in 1992-1993.

Gabor Brodi, Hungary's ambassador to the UN, told MTI that the country's "chances are not bad for SC membership". "We have launched intensive lobby efforts not only at international forums but in bilateral relations as well," the ambassador added. He noted that there were four candidates in the Eastern European group - Slovenia, Hungary, Armenia and Azerbaijan - and all four had a fair chance to become members of the UN body.

In a meeting that lasted for nearly half an hour, Ban Ki-moon asked Hungary to play a leading role in, and address the United Nations Conference on Climate Change on Tuesday.

Bajnai congratulated the secretary-general on the reforms performed in the United Nations.

The prime minister spoke about Hungary's progress in crisis management and the painful measures it had taken to cut its public finance deficit. Ban Ki-moon said that he fully supported Hungary in its crisis management efforts.

The secretary-general thanked Hungary for its role in UN peacekeeping operations.

Bajnai spoke about Hungary's objectives in enforcing human rights, and preparations for setting up a Budapest centre for preventing genocides.

Bajnai will attend the UN Conference on Climate Change and address a roundtable on extending the Kyoto Protocol on Tuesday, and take part in the opening of the 64th UN General Assembly session.