India’s long-standing campaign for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) received fresh diplomatic backing from four Central European countries during the 81st UN General Assembly.
The four members of the Visegrád Group (V4) — Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic — expressed collective support for India’s bid during the first high-level V4-India foreign ministers’ meeting in New York.
The development comes as India continues to call for reforms to the UN Security Council, arguing that the structure of the council should better reflect the geopolitical realities of the present day.
Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár said the four V4 countries agreed that India should have a permanent place on the UN Security Council. The comments came after the meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
The UNSC currently has 15 members — five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members. China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States hold the permanent seats.
India has for decades advocated expansion and reform of the Security Council, seeking greater representation for regions including Asia, Africa and Latin America. India has also served eight times as an elected member of the council, most recently during 2021–2022.
The latest V4 support adds another group of countries to the international discussion surrounding India’s permanent-membership proposal. However, the endorsement itself does not automatically change the composition of the Security Council, as any reform requires a broader UN process involving member states and the existing permanent members.
The meeting also focused on strengthening India’s relations with the four Central European nations. India and the V4 countries agreed to deepen cooperation in areas including politics, economy, technology, defence and people-to-people connections.
Jaishankar also announced plans for regular foreign ministers’ meetings and an annual business forum involving India and the V4 countries. The V4 backing has therefore brought renewed attention to India’s campaign for a reformed and expanded UN Security Council, while also highlighting the growing diplomatic engagement between India and Central Europe