India Joins New Non-Superpower P4M Grouping at UNGA as Visegrad Four Back UNSC Bid

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in New York on Monday to participate in the inaugural session of the Partners for Multilateralism forum on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly. The newly launched grouping brings together nations committed to supporting UN-based multilateralism away from traditional superpower dominance, with initial leadership participation spanning countries from Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

Simultaneously, India secured formal collective backing for its long-standing bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council from the Visegrad Group, comprising Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. The endorsement emerged during the first dedicated ministerial meeting between New Delhi and the V4 bloc in New York, adding Central European diplomatic backing to India's ongoing efforts to reform global governance structures.

The Visegrad Group nations have consistently maintained a joint diplomatic position advocating for expansion of the Security Council in both permanent and non-permanent categories, rejecting the anti-permanent seat stance of rival blocs. Substantive reform resolutions have never been put to a formal vote in the General Assembly, with the Visegrad nations participating in consensus-based procedural decisions.

Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar articulated the collective position of the V4 nations following bilateral discussions with Mr. Jaishankar. Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar said after meeting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar that India as a part of the Global South must be represented permanently.

"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," Mr. Blanar stated.

India's campaign emphasizes that the institutional design of the 15-member Security Council remains rooted in the geopolitical realities of 1945, when much of the developing world remained under colonial administration. New Delhi argues that the council's structure fails to reflect contemporary population distribution, economic weight, and significant contributions to international peacekeeping operations. While permanent members including France, the United Kingdom, Russia, and the United States have extended varying degrees of support, structural reform continues to face hurdles regarding veto powers and regional representation models.

Targeted coordination on United Nations institutional reform is pursued through initiatives such as UN80 and the Pact for the Future. To resolve diplomatic deadlocks, the G4 proposal includes a flexible veto mechanism under which new permanent members forgo exercising the veto until a review.

The ministerial discussions in New York established a structured framework for future bilateral and multilateral cooperation between India and the Central European bloc. Mr. Jaishankar described the session as a historic occasion that institutionalizes regular diplomatic contact.

"We had our first Visegrad Four and India meeting. It was, in a sense, a new historic occasion, and I would like to thank Minister Juraj for convening us today. It was a very, very productive meeting," Mr. Jaishankar said.

The participating ministers agreed to establish an annual business forum and convene regular annual meetings of their respective foreign ministers to deepen ties alongside India's broader engagement with the European Union. Agenda items during the inaugural talks encompassed technological innovation, defense collaboration, space research, regional connectivity projects, and people-to-people exchanges, alongside broader strategic reviews of global security developments including the conflict in Ukraine and the Gulf region.

Beyond the V4 consultations and the Partners for Multilateralism launch, Mr. Jaishankar's itinerary in New York includes a series of bilateral and multilateral diplomatic engagements throughout the high-level debate week.

Mr. Jaishankar is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly on September 26, where he is expected to outline India's positions on comprehensive multilateral reform, counterterrorism cooperation, and equitable international development.