‘India must be at the table’: 4 European countries back India’s permanent UNSC membership

The Visegrad Group, comprising Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, has expressed support for India's bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Slovakia's Foreign Minister, Juraj Blanar, stated that the V4 countries unanimously agreed that India, as a country from the Global South and an emerging superpower in the Indo-Pacific region, should be part of the UN's top decision-making body.

This stance was shared during the first Visegrad Group (V4)+India Foreign Ministers' Meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York. The meeting aimed to strengthen bilateral relations between India and the V4 countries and explore various areas of cooperation, including trade, investment, technology, defense, education, and people-to-people exchanges.

The ministers discussed strengthening political cooperation, including annual meetings of foreign ministers, and deepening economic engagement through an annual business forum. They also explored technology and innovation partnerships, defence cooperation, cultural ties, and people-to-people relations. The meeting marked an important step in establishing a regular platform for dialogue and cooperation between India and the Visegrad Group at the foreign ministers' level.