Czechia – On Wednesday 22 November, Czech President Petr Pavel welcomed his Visegrád Group counterparts – Katalin Novák (Hungary), Andrzej Duda (Poland) and Zuzana Čaputová (Slovakia) – for a summit of V4 heads of state held at Prague Castle in the Hradčany district.
As the Slovak president announced on X, the discussions between the four presidents focused on „practical cooperation, people-to-people contacts and economic resilience”, as well as on projects financed by the Visegrád International Fund – which Katalin Novák proposed increasing from €10 million to €20 million – while also touching on current issues such as Ukraine and the Middle East.
All against illegal immigration
In her brief report published on Facebook, the Hungarian President recalled that the four heads of state „all agree that we must tackle the growing pressure of illegal immigration and protect the security of Central Europe against the threat of terrorism”. She also „drew [her counterparts’] attention to the injustice of certain Member States [including Hungary and Poland] not receiving the European funds to which they are legitimately entitled”.
In addition to the proposal to „double the budget of the Visegrád Fund”, Ms Novák called for „closer energy cooperation and the development of transport infrastructures between [the V4] countries”.
Central Europe must become one of Europe’s brain centres
For her part, the Slovak President, whose last V4 summit was being held here, recalled that the countries of the Visegrád Group have „a lot in common […] as neighbours and countries in the same region” and that even if they „disagree on a number of values, political or geopolitical issues, [they are] united by strong people-to-people contacts, trade links, but also by the challenges [they] face”:
„One of the most visible instruments of our cooperation, which strengthens links between peoples and between civil societies, is the Visegrád International Fund. It has supported thousands of successful civic and community projects, cultural initiatives, university exchanges and reforms in our countries, as well as beyond their borders in the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova.
Its contribution can be all the more important as it responds to the most pressing needs and challenges of the moment. [Our countries have undergone a successful transformation to a market economy in the relatively short period since the fall of communism, but until now they have been, figuratively speaking, the factories and workshops of Europe. In the decades to come, we must become one of its brain centres. This is why Ms Čaputová presented to her V4 partners „what Slovakia, which this year adopted a national strategy for research, development and innovation to 2030, plans to do in this direction.”
Back to the roots of V4 cooperation
For his part, Petr Pavel stressed that the Czech Presidency of the V4 „is striving to return to the roots of Visegrád cooperation, the principles of freedom and democracy, good neighbourly relations and the European and transatlantic alliance. [We need to know where we intersect, where we can work together, [and] where we differ. The summit also played an important role in this respect. The Czech President also stressed the importance of the Visegrád International Fund, which „enables students and researchers to exchange knowledge and connect civil society”:
„We are negotiating the expansion of activities to Ukraine and, in the future, to other Eastern Partnership and Western Balkan countries.”
„Supporting Ukraine is essential for our security”.
The four V4 heads of state also reiterated their support for Ukraine, because, according to Petr Pavel, „supporting Ukraine is essential for our security”: „Russia must be held responsible for the human lives lost and the damage caused to Ukraine.
We must therefore resolutely continue to support Ukraine and its citizens in every possible way, as this is in our interest.
In this regard, the Polish President stressed that „Ukraine also needs continued support” and that „it is also necessary to mobilise the allies to continue to provide assistance, including to Ukrainian refugees”.