4 European nations back India's UNSC permanent seat bid
What's the story
India's bid for a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has received support from four European nations. The Visegrad Group (V4), Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, backed India's call during a meeting on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly session. Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended this meeting with leaders of these countries.
Support expressed
V4 countries reach consensus on India's UNSC bid
The V4 countries have backed India's demand for a permanent seat at the UNSC.
"We all agree as V4 countries that India as a part of the Global South, upcoming superpower in the Indo-Pacific region, must be at the table as the permanent member of the UN Security Council," said Slovakia's Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar.
This comes amid New Delhi's push for UNSC expansion to better represent Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Meeting details
Jaishankar calls meeting with V4 leaders 'very, very productive'
Jaishankar's meeting with V4 leaders was described as "very, very productive." The discussions revolved around cooperation and global crises such as the Ukraine war and Gulf developments.
"It was really a very, very worthwhile, very productive meeting. I'm very pleased about it," he said.
He said there was a "consensus" on annual meetings of foreign ministers from these five nations.
Cooperation plans
Defence cooperation also on agenda
The meeting also saw an agreement to strengthen cooperation in technology, innovation, research, and education partnerships.
Defence cooperation was also on the agenda, along with cultural ties and people-to-people relations to work together to support multilateralism.
The V4 countries are industrial economies with great innovation and technology talent, Jaishankar said.
Group overview
What is the Visegrad Group?
The V4 group is a cultural and political alliance aimed at boosting cooperation in military, economic, cultural, and energy affairs.
It was formed in 1991 in the Hungarian city of Visegrad after the countries emerged from the Soviet Union's collapse.
The group's support for India's UNSC bid comes as New Delhi continues to push for a more representative global body.