V4 Nations Back India's Bid for Permanent UN Security Council Seat

The Visegrád Group nations of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic have collectively endorsed India's bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. The backing was announced following the first-ever joint foreign ministers meeting between the V4 and India, held on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár stated that the four Central European countries were united in their support. "We all agree as V4 countries that India, as a 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," Blanár said after the meeting. Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar described the meeting as a "new historic occasion" and outlined a broader deepening of ties. He stated that India and the V4 countries agreed to explore greater cooperation in technology and innovation while also seeking to strengthen existing defence ties. "We have a very strong history with all the V4 countries in defence. We want to refresh and take forward that record and that cooperation," Jaishankar said.