New York [US], September 22 (ANI): India and the Visegrad Group (V4) countries, comprising Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, called for a pragmatic approach to energy security and diversification while highlighting opportunities for greater cooperation in defence, technology and innovation during the first V4+India Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New York, according a statement from the Slovak foreign Ministry.

The meeting was held on Monday on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly under the Slovak Presidency of the V4.

The meeting was chaired by Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar and attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbanova, Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka and Polish Foreign Minister Radosaw Sikorski. Energy security and the impact of global conflicts on supply chains featured prominently in the discussions.

Blanar said India and the V4 countries face challenges linked to energy security and that cooperation on the issue remains important amid global market shifts.

'I am personally pleased that we had the opportunity to exchange information regarding energy security, because India, Europe, and the V4 nations all face immense challenges related to the war in Ukraine and in the Middle East. These issues exert a profound impact on our economies, and we seek to cooperate with India in this domain as well,' Blanar said.

The Slovak side also highlighted the importance of a pragmatic and non-ideological approach to energy issues, with a focus on economic and industrial competitiveness.

Defence and technology cooperation also emerged as key areas for India and the V4 countries. Jaishankar described the meeting as a productive opportunity to work with the Central European group, highlighting their industrial, innovation and technological capabilities.

'It was, in a sense, a new historic occasion. It was a very, very productive meeting. 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,' Jaishankar said.

He also said India would explore greater cooperation in technology and innovation and highlighted the existing defence relationship with all four V4 countries.

'We would also explore 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,' Jaishankar added.

The discussions also covered major global developments, including the Ukraine conflict and developments in the Gulf.

'Discussions focused on cooperation as well as major global crises, including the Ukraine conflict and developments in the Gulf. It was really a very, very worthwhile, very productive meeting. I'm very pleased about it,' Jaishankar said.

The meeting marked the launch of the V4+India format at the Foreign Ministers' level, providing a structured platform for India and the four Central European countries to discuss economic and strategic cooperation.

Blanar said the first V4+India meeting was the result of an 11-year effort by Slovakia to establish the format and described the platform as offering strategic potential for cooperation.

'This historically first meeting organised in the V4+ India format is the result of an 11-year effort by the Slovak Republic. We did our utmost to make this meeting happen because we see strategic potential in it. I consider this session to be a historic success for Slovak diplomacy, through which we have managed to secure another major external partner for V4 cooperation,' Blanar said.

The two sides also discussed economic cooperation and the potential for stronger trade and investment ties. Blanar highlighted the significance of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement and said it would create opportunities for the European Union and V4 economies.

'If everything proceeds as prepared - as Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar informed us - the EU-India Free Trade Agreement should be signed sometime in December this year. This is a major step forward, because India today stands as the fifth-largest economy and is becoming a powerful economic heavyweight. It represents a vast opportunity for the European Union, and by extension, for the states of the Visegrad Group,' Blanar said.

The meeting also covered multilateral issues, including reform of the United Nations system. Slovakia reiterated its support for India's ambition to secure a permanent seat on a reformed UN Security Council, while Slovakia and India confirmed mutual support for their respective candidatures for non-permanent seats for the 2028-2029 term.

The inaugural V4+India meeting thus brought energy security, defence, technology, trade and multilateral cooperation into a single framework for engagement between India and the Visegrad countries. (ANI)