4 European nations back India's bid for permanent UN seat, Jaishankar calls it 'historic'
Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Czechia — collectively the Visegrad Group (V4) — held their first-ever ministerial-level meeting with India in a new "V4+India" format, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly's High-Level Week in New York
The four countries expressed support for India's bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council
The External Affairs Minister described the meeting as a "new historic occasion," noting that discussions covered political, economic, defence, technology, space, connectivity, and people-to-people ties
The meeting adds four European voices to the list of countries that have publicly backed India's permanent UNSC candidacy
The Visegrad Group (V4)
The Visegrad Group is a regional cooperation format among four Central European states, formed to coordinate policy on European integration and regional interests. It is not a treaty-based international organisation with binding obligations but a political consultation platform.
Key Details
- Founded 15 February 1991 by Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland, at Visegrad, Hungary
- Became a four-member group after Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic (Czechia) and Slovakia in 1993
- All four V4 states are members of both the European Union and NATO
- The V4+India ministerial in September 2026 is described as the first such meeting in this specific format
The V4+India format is a new minilateral channel through which four EU/NATO member states have collectively and publicly endorsed India's permanent UNSC seat bid, distinct from earlier bilateral endorsements from individual countries.
UN Security Council Reform — the G4 vs Uniting for Consensus
UN Security Council reform debates centre on two competing coalitions. The G4 (Brazil, Germany, India, Japan) seeks an expansion of permanent seats to include themselves, alongside African representation. The Uniting for Consensus (UfC) group, led by Italy and Pakistan, opposes creating new permanent seats and instead favours longer-term, renewable non-permanent seats.
Key Details
- G4 members: Brazil, Germany, India, Japan — each seeks a permanent seat and also supports two permanent seats for the African Group
- UfC (also called the "Coffee Club") members include Italy, Pakistan, Mexico, Argentina, South Korea, Spain, Canada, and Turkey; each has a specific regional rival among the G4 or African claimants (e.g., Pakistan opposes India, Italy and Spain oppose Germany)
- Formal reform discussions began with the Open-Ended Working Group set up after the 47th UNGA session in 1992; India first formally sought a permanent seat in 1994
- Talks have proceeded since 2009 through the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) framework; a 2015 UNGA decision (69th session) moved discussions toward a text-based negotiation process, though no consensus text has been adopted
- The 2024 Pact for the Future commits members to pursue Security Council reform "without delay," the strongest reform commitment since the 1960s expansion
V4 backing adds to the coalition of states supporting the G4 position (permanent seat expansion including India), which remains contested by the UfC bloc — a structural reason why UNSC reform has not progressed despite decades of negotiation.
UN Security Council Composition and Veto Power
The Security Council is the UN's principal organ for international peace and security, with powers — unlike the General Assembly — to adopt legally binding resolutions under Chapter VII of the UN Charter.
Key Details
- Composition (Article 23): 15 members — 5 permanent (China, France, Russia, UK, US) and 10 non-permanent, elected by the UNGA for two-year terms (5 elected each year), not eligible for immediate re-election
- Voting (Article 27): substantive decisions require 9 affirmative votes out of 15, including the concurring votes of all 5 permanent members — the basis of the "veto" power; procedural matters require only 9 affirmative votes with no veto applicable
- Charter amendment (Article 108): requires ratification by two-thirds of all UN member states, including all 5 permanent members — meaning any UNSC expansion needs unanimous P5 ratification, a major structural hurdle
- India has served as a non-permanent member 8 times: 1950-51, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1984-85, 1991-92, 2011-12, and 2021-22, and has declared its candidature for the 2028-29 term
Because any UNSC expansion requires Article 108 ratification by all five permanent members, political endorsements from states like the V4 build diplomatic momentum but cannot by themselves overcome the P5 unanimity requirement that has stalled reform for over three decades.
- V4 members: Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Czechia; group founded 15 February 1991
- G4 (UNSC reform coalition with India): Brazil, Germany, India, Japan
- UfC/Coffee Club (opposing new permanent seats): led by Italy and Pakistan; also includes Mexico, Argentina, South Korea, Spain, Canada, Turkey
- UNSC composition: 15 total — 5 permanent (P5: China, France, Russia, UK, US) + 10 non-permanent (2-year terms, 5 elected annually)
- Veto threshold: 9/15 affirmative votes required, including all 5 permanent members, for non-procedural matters (Article 27)
- Charter amendment threshold: two-thirds of all member states' ratification, including all P5 (Article 108)
- India's UNSC non-permanent terms: 8 total, most recently 2021-22; candidature declared for 2028-29