New York: India’s long-standing bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council received fresh backing from four Central European nations on Monday, with Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic expressing support for New Delhi’s demand.
The support came during the first high-level Visegrad Group (V4)-India meeting held on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York. Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár said the four V4 countries agreed that India should have a permanent place at the UN’s top decision-making body.
“We all agree, as V4 countries, that India, as part of the Global South and an upcoming superpower in the Indo-Pacific region, must be at the table as a permanent member of the UN Security Council,” Blanár said. The Visegrad Group comprises Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Czechia. The meeting marked the first ministerial-level engagement between India and the four-nation grouping in the new V4+India format.
Jaishankar calls meeting a historic occasion
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar described the meeting as a “new historic occasion” and said the discussions covered political and economic cooperation, defence, technology, space, connectivity and people-to-people ties.India and the V4 countries agreed to strengthen their engagement through regular foreign ministerial meetings and an annual business forum.
Jaishankar said the countries would also explore greater cooperation in technology and innovation and seek to revive and expand their existing defence ties. The discussions also covered space cooperation, connectivity, student mobility and major global developments, including the Ukraine conflict and the situation in the Gulf.
India seeks reform of UN Security Council
India has been pushing for comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council and a permanent seat on the body. The Security Council currently has five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States — along with 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.
New Delhi has argued that the composition of the Council should better reflect contemporary global realities and provide greater representation to regions that remain underrepresented. India has also received support for its permanent membership bid from several major powers, including France, the UK, the US and Russia. However, Security Council reform remains subject to negotiations among UN member states and the existing permanent members.
Closer India-V4 cooperation
Beyond the Security Council issue, the meeting focused on expanding India’s ties with the four Central European countries. Jaishankar said the sides had agreed on closer political cooperation, deeper economic engagement, stronger cooperation in technology and innovation, renewed defence cooperation and greater cultural and people-to-people exchanges. The proposed annual business forum is expected to provide a platform for companies from India and the V4 countries to explore economic opportunities.
Slovakia, which currently holds the V4 presidency, said establishing the V4+India format was the result of years of diplomatic efforts. The Slovak government said the meeting also opened avenues for cooperation in trade, energy security and multilateral affairs. Jaishankar is leading India’s delegation during the high-level week of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. He is scheduled to address the General Debate on September 26.
