New York: Four Central European countries have backed India’s long standing demand for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council, giving fresh diplomatic support to New Delhi’s campaign for reform of the global body.
Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic expressed their support during the first Visegrád Group and India foreign ministers’ meeting in New York on Monday, held on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.
The four countries form the Visegrád Group, also known as the V4. Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanár said all four V4 countries agreed that India should become a permanent member of the Security Council.
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar took part in the meeting, which was held during the high level week of the UN General Assembly.
The support adds to India’s long standing campaign for a permanent seat on the Security Council. India has argued for a more representative and effective UN system and has repeatedly called for reform of the Security Council to reflect changes in the global balance of power.
The V4 support, however, does not mean that India has been given a permanent seat. Any change to the composition of the Security Council would require wider agreement among UN member states and formal changes to the UN Charter.
The Security Council currently has 15 members. China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States are its five permanent members. The remaining ten members are elected by the General Assembly for two year terms.
The four Central European countries are members of the European Union, but their support in this case was expressed through the Visegrád Group. It should therefore not be described as a decision by the European Union as a whole.
The meeting was also significant because it marked the first foreign ministers’ meeting between the V4 and India. Slovakia currently holds the V4 presidency and played a key role in bringing the format together.
Blanár said the meeting was the result of 11 years of efforts by Slovakia to establish the V4 plus India format. The Slovak government said the meeting opened opportunities for regular dialogue and cooperation in areas including trade, energy security and multilateral affairs.
Jaishankar described the meeting as a new historic occasion and said India wanted to deepen cooperation with the four countries. The discussions covered political and economic relations as well as technology, innovation, defence, space and human mobility.
India and the V4 countries also agreed to develop regular engagement. Annual foreign ministers’ meetings and a business forum are expected to provide a more structured platform for cooperation.
The ministers also discussed major international developments, including the conflict in Ukraine and developments in the Gulf. Energy security was another issue, with particular attention to the effect of international conflicts on energy supplies and shipping routes.
Slovakia has already expressed support for India’s permanent membership of the Security Council. In August, the Slovak government also formally confirmed its support for India’s candidacy for a non permanent Security Council seat for the 2028 to 2029 term.
India is separately campaigning for that non permanent seat. The campaign should not be confused with its long term demand for permanent membership.
Slovakia and India are both candidates for non permanent Security Council seats for the 2028 to 2029 term and have said they support each other’s candidacies.
India’s broader campaign for Security Council reform is based on its view that the existing structure does not adequately represent contemporary global realities. New Delhi has also highlighted the importance of giving the Global South a stronger voice in international decision making.
The latest V4 endorsement therefore represents diplomatic support for India’s position, rather than an immediate change to the structure of the Security Council.
For India, the meeting also provides an opportunity to strengthen relations with four Central European countries at a time when New Delhi is seeking wider international support for reform of the United Nations and greater representation in its key decision making institutions.