Key Developments

  • India's External Affairs Minister co-chaired the inaugural Partners for Multilateralism, International Law, Peace & Prosperity (P4M) Summit and attended the first V4+India Foreign Ministers' Meeting on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York.
  • The Visegrad Group (V4) unanimously backed India's permanent membership of the UN Security Council (UNSC).

Partners for Multilateralism (P4M) Summit

  • Background: First outlined by leaders of the European Union, Brazil, Kenya and Canada to defend international law, promote peace and ensure inclusive prosperity.
  • Co-sponsors of inaugural summit (September 2026): India, Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Kenya and the European Union (EU).
  • Objective: Explicitly not an exclusive bloc or new bureaucracy — a flexible, open framework for countries across political traditions to build coalitions for reforming multilateral institutions.

India's Stand at P4M

  • 4F Crisis: Global fallout of conflicts on Fuel, Food, Fertiliser and Finance disproportionately affects the Global South and cannot be left unchecked.
  • De-risking and Diversification: Called out chokepoint dominance and supply-chain disruptions; urged de-risking and diversification of economic dependencies for resilient global supply chains.
  • Reformed Multilateralism:
  • Current UN system, particularly the UNSC, is unrepresentative and paralyzed by veto power of a few nations.
  • Demanded expansion of both permanent and non-permanent categories to include Africa, Latin America and Asia.
  • Reiterated India's claim for a permanent UNSC seat.
  • Emerging Technologies: Called for international frameworks and guardrails for Artificial Intelligence, space security and digital technologies.

Visegrad Group (V4)

  • Members: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia — a cultural and political alliance of four Central European countries.
  • Origin: Named after the Hungarian town of Visegrad, where leaders met in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet bloc.
  • Aims: Cooperation in military, cultural, economic and energy affairs; integration into the EU. All four members are part of both the EU and NATO.

Key Outcomes of V4+India Meeting

  • Unanimous UNSC endorsement: All four nations backed India's permanent UNSC membership; Slovakia called India a leading Global South country and an "upcoming superpower in the Indo-Pacific region".
  • Institutionalised ties: Launch of an Annual Business Forum and commitment to hold V4+India Foreign Ministers' meetings annually.

Significance of V4 for India

  • Gateway to Central & Eastern Europe (CEE): Strategic bridgehead amid shifting power dynamics due to the Ukraine conflict; diversifies India's European diplomacy beyond France and Germany.
  • EU BTIA and CBAM: V4 acts as a unified voting bloc in the European Parliament; can help build consensus for the stalled India-EU Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) and counter measures like CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism).
  • Global Value Chains: The region is a manufacturing powerhouse — dubbed the "Detroit of Europe" — with strong automotive and EV battery ecosystems (Hungary, Slovakia); supports India's "China Plus One" strategy.
  • Defence and Tech Transfer: Czech expertise in aviation, radar systems, heavy engineering; Polish strengths in mining technology and agri-tech — accelerates Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence.
  • Mobility Pacts: Aging V4 populations and skilled labour shortages create demand for Indian talent; rationale for Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreements (MMPAs) for Indian STEM and IT professionals.

Conclusion

India's twin strategy — advocating Reformed Multilateralism globally while building issue-based regional coalitions like V4+India — reflects a pragmatic approach to strengthening global cooperation. Translating these initiatives into concrete outcomes in defence, clean energy and resilient supply chains is the way forward.