In a significant development, Indiaโs push for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council received big support from four members of the Visegrรกd Group (V4) during their first foreign ministersโ meeting with India on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanรกr said Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic were united in supporting Indiaโs bid for UNSC membership.
After the first Visegrรกd Group (V4) + India Foreign Ministersโ Meeting, the Foreign Minister of Slovakia, Juraj Blanรกr, said, “We all agree, as V4 countries, that India, as part of the Global South, an upcoming superpower in the Indo-Pacific region, must be at the table as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.”
Hereโs what China said on Indiaโs UNSC membership
Earlier, China during the BRICS Summit 2026 in New Delhi, gave green signal for Indiaโs permanent membership at the UNSC. However, it is yet to be seen whether China will sign it on the table for Indiaโs permanent membership in the UN body.
Even though the US, France, Russia, the United Kingdom have earlier supported Indiaโs bid for permanent membership, China was opposing it until the BRICS Summit 2026.
It should be noted that the UNSC has 15 members including five permanent members such as US, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. The P5 have the veto power.
Amid these developments, India argues that the UNSCโs structure, created in 1945 after World War II, does not reflect today’s geopolitical and economic realities. Moreover, India wants expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories, with greater representation for developing countries, from Asia, Africa and Latin America.
It is significant to note that in the last eight decades, India has served as a non-permanent member of UNSC eight times: 1950โ51, 1967โ68, 1972โ73, 1977โ78, 1984โ85, 1991โ92, 2011โ12 and most recently in 2021โ22.
Which countries support India’s bid for UNSC?
For the UNSC permanent membership, India has already secured support from several major countries, including four of the five P5 members. France, UK, US and Russia have backed India’s candidature for permanent membership and more significantly, Russia has been a longstanding supporter.
And now, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic have also endorsed India’s permanent membership during the first India-V4 meeting in New York on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly.
Apart from this, India is also part of the G4 grouping with Brazil, Germany and Japan. These four countries support each other’s bids and advocate expansion of the Council in both categories. The African Union also separately demanded permanent representation, including at least two permanent seats for Africa.
Why is China’s position important for India?
China is a key member in India’s campaign. Just like France, Russia, UK and US, Beijing for the first time endorsed India’s permanent membership in the same manner in the recently concluded BRICS Summit. However, this stopped short of explicitly endorsing India as a new permanent member with veto power. China is one of the existing P5 members and has a role in the Charter-amendment process.
Does India need all P5 members to agree?
Not necessarily, India needs the five permanent members to vote for its candidature. Expanding permanent membership requires an amendment to the UN Charter. As part of the Article 108, a Charter amendment must first be adopted by a two-thirds majority of the UN General Assembly. It must then be ratified by two-thirds of UN member states, including all five permanent members.
Hence, even if a large majority of members support adding India to the permanent category, the reform cannot take effect unless US, Russia, China, France and the UK all ratify the amendment.
Where does India’s bid stand now?
Over the period of time, India has built significant diplomatic support for UNSC permanent membership. While four of the P5 members, US, France, Russia and UK, have backed its candidature, countries across Europe and the Global South support a greater Indian role.
Now, the Visegrรกd Group’s endorsement adds Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic to the countries supporting India’s permanent-seat campaign. Meanwhile, China has supported India’s greater role in the UN and Security Council in the BRICS declaration, but has not explicitly endorsed India’s permanent membership in the same terms as the other four P5 members.
Now, India’s challenge is not simply to accumulate support but the decisive hurdle is agreement on a wider Security Council reform package and securing the Charter ratifications required under Article 108, including from all five existing permanent members. This is the reason China’s position remains central to the debate over India’s permanent seat.
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