India and the four-member Visegrad Group of Central European countries on Monday agreed to step up political, economic and defence cooperation at their first foreign ministers' meeting, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar describing it as a “new historic occasion”.
The meeting between India and the Visegrad Group, comprising the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, was held on the margins of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.
Jaishankar joined Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, Hungary's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Anita Orban, Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar and Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka for the meeting.
"It was, in a sense, a new historic occasion,” Jaishankar said in remarks after the meeting.
"It was a very, very productive meeting. What we agreed was that 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,” he said.
Jaishankar said there was also “consensus" that foreign ministers of the five countries would meet annually.
“We would also explore in technology and innovation whether we could be doing more. 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,” he said.
The discussions also covered space, connectivity and people-to-people mobility, besides major global issues, including the Ukraine conflict and developments in the Gulf.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said the V4+India format had agreed to closer political cooperation, including annual meetings of foreign ministers, and deeper economic engagement through an Annual Business Forum.
The countries also agreed to strengthen cooperation in technology, innovation, research and education, reinvigorate defence ties, deepen cultural and people-to-people relations, and work together to support multilateralism.
Jaishankar said India has “very good” relations with the V4 countries.
"These are countries with a very strong, very distinctive capability. These are industrial economies, economies with great innovation and technology talent, and I think how the V4 come together is for them to decide. But we certainly welcome the opportunity to work with the V4 together,” he told reporters.
(With inputs from PTI)