India and the four-member Visegrad Group agreed to strengthen political, economic, defence and technology cooperation during their first foreign ministers’ meeting held on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar described the inaugural V4+India meeting as a historic occasion and said the discussions had been highly productive. The countries agreed to hold annual meetings of their foreign ministers and establish a business forum to expand economic engagement.
The Visegrad Group, also known as V4, comprises the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. The Central European grouping promotes cooperation in areas including trade, industry, defence, culture, energy and regional connectivity.
Jaishankar participated in the meeting with Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Anita Orban, Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar and Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka.
Jaishankar said India’s engagement with the V4 countries was becoming more important as New Delhi’s wider relationship with the European Union continued to deepen.
The five sides agreed to introduce special initiatives, including an annual business forum that would connect companies and investors from India and Central Europe. The proposed platform is expected to identify new opportunities in manufacturing, infrastructure, trade, innovation and emerging technologies.
The ministers also agreed to deepen partnerships in technology, research, education and innovation. Discussions covered the possibility of expanding cooperation in space, connectivity and the movement of students, professionals and skilled workers.
Jaishankar said the V4 countries possess strong industrial capabilities and significant talent in technology and innovation. He added that India welcomed the opportunity to engage with the four nations collectively while continuing its individual bilateral relationships with each country.
Defence cooperation was another major focus of the talks. Jaishankar said India shared a long history of defence engagement with all four Visegrad countries and wanted to refresh and expand those partnerships. The ministers also discussed cultural cooperation and stronger people-to-people relations. They agreed to support multilateralism and coordinate more closely on political issues through regular consultations.
Major international developments, including the Ukraine conflict and the continuing crisis in the Gulf, were also discussed. Jaishankar said the meeting covered both practical areas of cooperation and pressing global challenges. In a social media post after the meeting, the External Affairs Minister said the V4+India format had agreed on closer political coordination, deeper economic ties, renewed defence cooperation and expanded partnerships in education and research.
The decision to hold annual ministerial meetings gives the new format a structured diplomatic framework. The proposed business forum and cooperation in defence, technology and connectivity could help India build stronger links with Central Europe as its partnership with the European Union expands.
