On Monday, 21 September 2026, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar sat down with the foreign ministers of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. The five ministers agreed to institutionalise their ties by convening annually and launching an annual business forum to boost trade and investment.
The Visegrad Group, a cultural and political alliance of four Central‑European states, has long maintained defence ties with India; the meeting marked the first time the bloc’s foreign ministers have met in India’s format. The agreement signals a new phase of partnership that goes beyond the EU‑India framework.
Jaishankar highlighted that the group will deepen technology and innovation cooperation, expand research and education links, and revitalize joint defence projects. "The V4’s industrial prowess and talent pool complement India’s market size," he said.
The ministers also touched on space collaboration, digital connectivity, people‑to‑people mobility, and the Ukraine war and Gulf developments. Jaishankar called the session "very productive" and stressed the need to support multilateralism.
The first V4‑India forum will likely convene in 2027, with the annual business forum slated to launch at the next meeting. The groups will schedule the next foreign minister meeting for early 2028, cementing a regular dialogue schedule.