India’s push for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council received fresh backing from Europe on Monday, with Slovakia saying New Delhi should have a place at the UN’s top decision-making body.
Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar said India, as a leading country of the Global South and an emerging power in the Indo-Pacific, should become a permanent member of the Security Council, the TOI reported on Tuesday.
"We all agree, as V4 countries, that India, as part of the Global South, an upcoming superpower in the Indo-Pacific region, must be at the table as a permanent member of the UN Security Council," Blanar said.
The remarks came during the first high-level Visegrad Group (V4) plus India meeting on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. TOI reported that the meeting marked the first ministerial-level engagement between India and the four-member grouping in the new V4+India format.
The V4 comprises Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Czechia.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar described the meeting as a "new historic occasion", with discussions spanning political and economic ties, defence, technology, space, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges.
Why it matters
India has been seeking comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council, including permanent membership for New Delhi. The Council currently has five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the UK and the US — and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.
Jaishankar formally launched India's campaign for a non-permanent UNSC term for 2028-29 in July, even as New Delhi continues to push for broader Council reform and a permanent seat.
The latest European backing comes as India looks to build wider support for its longstanding demand for greater representation in the UN's decision-making structure.
India, V4 agree on closer ties
Beyond the UNSC issue, India and the V4 countries agreed to strengthen their engagement through regular political and business-level interactions.
Jaishankar said the two sides had agreed to hold annual meetings of foreign ministers and establish an annual business forum. He also said India would seek to expand cooperation with the four countries in technology and innovation, while reviving defence cooperation.
The agenda also included space, connectivity, cultural ties and people-to-people mobility, including student exchanges.
