India’s UN seat push gets a 4-nation European lift

India's bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council received a fresh endorsement from Europe on Monday, with Slovakia stating New Delhi should occupy a place at the UN's top decision-making body. Slovakia's Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar emphasized that as a leading country in the Global South and an emerging power in the Indo-Pacific, India must be represented as a permanent member of the Security Council.

The remarks were made during the first high-level Visegrad Group (V4) plus India meeting, which marked the first ministerial-level engagement between India and the four-member grouping during the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar described the meeting as a historic occasion, with discussions encompassing political and economic ties, defence, technology, space, connectivity, and people-to-people exchanges.

The latest European backing comes as India seeks broader support for its demand for greater representation in the UN's decision-making structure. Beyond the UNSC issue, India and the V4 countries agreed to enhance their engagement through regular political and business-level interactions, including annual meetings of foreign ministers, an annual business forum, and cooperation in technology, innovation, defence, space, connectivity, and cultural ties.