Upcoming superpower: India’s push for permanent UNSC seat gets backing from 4 European nations

India’s push for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council has received collective backing from four Central European countries, giving fresh diplomatic momentum to its long-standing demand for reform of the global body.

The four members of the Visegrad Group –Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic have  backed India’s bid during its first V4-India meeting held New York on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Jaishankar said the gathering was a “new historic occasion” and announced plans for annual meetings of foreign ministers as well as an annual business forum. Taking to X, EAM Jaishankar, quoting Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár of Slovakia wrote: “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”.

The Visegrad Group (V4) is a cultural and political alliance of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia that aims at advancing co-operation in military, economic, cultural and energy affairs. India’s case for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council rests on the changing global order. While the world has undergone major political and economic shifts since the Council was established in 1945, its permanent membership has remained largely unchanged.

At the time, much of Asia and Africa was still under colonial rule, while several countries that today wield significant demographic, economic and diplomatic influence were either yet to gain independence or had not emerged as sovereign states. India on July this year launched its official campaign for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for the 2028–29 term. It is worth noting that India’s campaign for permanent seat has been backed by several other nations like Russia, France, US, and United Kingdom.