India’s campaign for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) received fresh support from four Central European countries during the first V4-India foreign ministers’ meeting in New York.
The Visegrád Group (V4) — Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic — collectively backed India’s demand for permanent membership. Slovakia’s Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár said India, as a major country of the Global South and an emerging Indo-Pacific power, should have a permanent place at the UN’s top security body.
First V4-India Ministerial Meeting
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly and marked the first high-level V4 meeting with India.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar described the meeting as a new milestone in India’s engagement with the four Central European nations. Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas including politics, trade, technology, defence, research and education.
India and the V4 countries also agreed to hold annual foreign ministers’ meetings and explore an annual business forum.
Support for India’s UN Role
The V4 backing adds to international support for India’s long-standing campaign to reform the Security Council.
India has argued that the structure of the UNSC should better reflect current global political and economic realities. The Council currently has five permanent members — the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom — along with 10 elected members.
However, support from individual countries does not by itself change the Council’s composition. Any expansion requires agreement through the UN reform process, including approval by the required member states.
Wider India-V4 Cooperation
Beyond the UNSC issue, the meeting focused on expanding India’s relationship with Central Europe.
Jaishankar said the two sides discussed technology, innovation, defence, space, connectivity and people-to-people ties. The ministers also exchanged views on international developments, including the Ukraine conflict and the situation in the Gulf.
Slovakia, which currently holds the V4 presidency, has also highlighted energy security and trade as areas for closer cooperation with India.
The V4 meeting therefore combines India’s push for greater representation in global institutions with efforts to build deeper economic, technological and strategic ties with Central Europe.
