The four-nation Visegrad Group (V4) has backed India’s inclusion as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Slovakia’s Foreign Minister said India “must be at the table” as a permanent member of the UN’s top decision-making body.

The statement came after the first V4+India Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York. (The Indian Express)

'India must be at the table' : 4

Why in the News?

The Visegrad Group has supported India’s permanent membership of the UN Security Council.

  • The V4 consists of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
  • All four V4 countries backed India’s permanent UNSC membership.
  • The first V4+India Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was held in New York.
  • The meeting took place under Slovakia’s presidency of the V4.

What is the Visegrad Group?

The Visegrad Group (V4) is a four-country grouping comprising Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The V4+India format provides another platform for dialogue and cooperation between India and these four European countries. It builds on India’s longstanding bilateral relations with Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

India’s Permanent UNSC Membership

Speaking after the first V4+India Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Slovakia’s Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar said that all four V4 countries agreed on India’s permanent membership of the UN Security Council. He said India, as a country of the Global South and an emerging power in the Indo-Pacific region, should have a permanent place on the UN Security Council. (DD India)

India and V4 Discuss Wider Cooperation

The ministers discussed ways to strengthen engagement between India and the Visegrad Group.

The discussions covered:

  • Trade and investment
  • Technology and innovation
  • Resilient supply chains
  • Defence and security
  • Connectivity
  • Education
  • Mobility
  • People-to-people exchanges

Cooperation Among Institutions

The ministers also discussed greater cooperation among different stakeholders from India and the V4 countries.

These included:

  • Businesses
  • Academic institutions
  • Research institutions
  • Other relevant stakeholders

The objective is to strengthen engagement beyond government-to-government relations.

Global Issues Discussed

The meeting also covered regional and international developments. The ministers exchanged views on:

  • Peace and security
  • Regional and international developments
  • Cooperation in multilateral forums
  • Reformed multilateralism
  • Challenges affecting the Global South

Areas Outlined by Jaishankar

After the meeting, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said the V4+India format had agreed to deepen cooperation in several areas.

Political Cooperation

The countries agreed to work towards closer political cooperation, including:

  • Annual meetings of foreign ministers
  • Regular political engagement

Economic Engagement

The countries also discussed deeper economic engagement through an:

  • Annual business forum

Technology, Research and Education

Greater cooperation was identified in:

  • Technology
  • Innovation
  • Research
  • Education partnerships

Defence and Security

The countries also identified defence cooperation as an area for deeper engagement.

Cultural and People-to-People Relations

Other areas include:

  • Cultural ties
  • People-to-people relations

Significance of the V4+India Format

The first meeting marked an important step in establishing engagement between India and the Visegrad Group at the foreign ministers’ level. The format provides another platform for:

  • Political dialogue
  • Economic cooperation
  • Technology and innovation partnerships
  • Defence cooperation
  • Educational and research cooperation
  • Cultural and people-to-people exchanges
  • Cooperation in multilateral forums

Conclusion

The first V4+India Foreign Ministers’ Meeting strengthened engagement between India and the four Visegrad countries: Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The four V4 countries backed India’s permanent membership of the UNSC, while the meeting also focused on wider cooperation in trade, investment, technology, defence, connectivity, education and people-to-people relations. The V4+India format provides another platform for India to engage with these four European countries and cooperate on reformed multilateralism and challenges affecting the Global South.