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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India and the four Visegrd Group (V4) countries (Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic) have agreed to deepen cooperation in political, economic, technology, defence and people-to-people ties. Jaishankar's comments following the first V4 and India Foreign Ministers Meeting on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations 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. Since India's relationship with the European Union itself is deepening, with the V4 we would take some special initiatives to create an annual business forum. As foreign ministers, we would meet annuallythat was the consensus, Jaishankar said. He said India and the V4 countries would also explore greater cooperation in technology and innovation, while 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, the External Affairs Minister said. Jaishankar said the discussions covered space, connectivity and people-to-people mobility, noting that Indian students are present in each of the V4 countries. The meeting also saw an exchange of views on major global developments, including the Ukraine conflict and the situation in the Gulf. So, overall, I can tell you in terms of our cooperation, as well as a very good exchangea very useful exchange on the big global crises: the Ukraine conflict, what's happening in the Gulf, Jaishankar said. In a separate post on X, Jaishankar said the meeting agreed to closer political cooperation, deeper economic engagement, stronger technology, innovation, research and education partnerships, reinvigorated defence cooperation and expanded cultural and people-to-people relations. Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanr said the V4 countries supported India's permanent membership of the UN Security Council. 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, Blanr said. Jaishankar also held bilateral meetings with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Roberto Kury during his UNGA engagements. (ANI)
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