‘Historic occasion’: Jaishankar describes first meeting between V4 and India foreign ministers

EAM S. Jaishankar meets the Visegrad Group on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. Photo credit: @DrSJaishankar/X

India and the four-member Visegrad Group of Central European countries on Monday (21 September 2026) agreed to strengthen political, economic and defense cooperation at their first foreign ministers’ meeting, which External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar described as a “new historic opportunity”.

The Visegrád Group (V4) is a cultural and political alliance of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, whose aim is to deepen cooperation in military, economic, cultural and energy matters.

The first meeting of the foreign ministers of the Visegrad Group and India took place on Monday (September 21, 2026) on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

Mr. Jaishankar met Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski; Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Anita Orban; Slovak Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs Juraj Blanár; and Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Petr Macinka.

“It was, in a sense, a new historic occasion,” Mr. Jaishankar said in remarks after the meeting.

“It was a very, very productive meeting. We agreed that as India’s relationship with the European Union itself is deepening, we will take some special initiatives with the V4 to create an annual business forum,” he said, adding that there was “agreement” that the foreign ministers of the five countries in the group would meet annually.

“We would also explore technology and innovation to see if we could do more. We have a very strong history with all the V4 countries in defence. We want to restore that record and cooperation and take it forward,” Mr Jaishankar said.

The group also discussed issues such as space, connectivity and mobility among people.

Mr Jaishankar said the meeting was “very beneficial” and “very productive”, with discussions focusing on cooperation as well as major global crises, including the Ukraine conflict and developments in the Persian Gulf.

“It was really a very, very valuable, very productive meeting. I’m very pleased about it,” he told reporters after the meeting.

In a post on X, Mr Jaishankar said the first meeting in the V4+India format agreed to closer political cooperation, including annual meetings of foreign ministers, and deeper economic cooperation, including an annual trade forum.

I am pleased to have joined the Visegrad Group of DPM & FM @radeksikorski#Poland DPM and FM @_OrbanAnita#Hungary FM Juraj Blanár #Slovakia and FM @petr_macinka#Czech Republic to the edge #UNGA81. Our first V4+India meeting agreed to:

✅ Closer political cooperation including… pic.twitter.com/mBqMTkC6QN

—Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 21, 2026

The countries also agreed to strengthen partnerships in technology, innovation, research and education; re-invigorate defense cooperation; further develop cultural cooperation and people-to-people relations and work together to promote multilateralism, he said.

Mr. Jaishankar also said that India has “very good” relations with the V4 countries.

“These are countries with very strong, very significant capability. They are industrial economies, economies with great innovation and technological talent, and I think they will decide how the V4 will come together. But we certainly welcome the opportunity to work with the V4,” he told reporters.

Published – 22 Sep 2026 07:04 IST