The leaders of the Visegrád Group (V4) have pledged to strengthen regional cooperation, agreeing to work more closely than ever before on shared political, economic, and strategic priorities.
In a joint declaration issued early Wednesday following the V4 summit in Gödöllő, the prime ministers of Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia said the four countries had returned to the founding principles of the regional alliance.
The declaration, released after talks among Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, commits the four governments to strengthening cooperation based on shared interests and past successes.
The leaders pointed to earlier joint achievements in shaping European Union policy, particularly on tackling high energy prices and addressing migration.
They also agreed to pursue closer cooperation with regional, European, and global partners wherever their interests align.
Among the key areas identified for joint action are negotiations over the European Union’s next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), including cohesion policy and the Common Agricultural Policy.
The declaration also highlights cooperation to maintain a flexible single market, support a sustainable agri-food sector, promote a merit-based accession process for EU candidate countries, balance the green transition with economic competitiveness, review the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), and coordinate positions on the automotive industry and trade policy.
The four prime ministers instructed their ministers and chief EU negotiators to restore cooperation mechanisms on European Union policy, with the aim of re-establishing the V4’s previously effective coordination framework.
On regional development, the leaders agreed that closer cooperation is needed to improve transport and energy infrastructure, with particular emphasis on developing the North-South transport corridor.
They also pledged to deepen collaboration in digitalization, artificial intelligence, cross-border cybersecurity, and digital services to strengthen the region’s competitiveness.
The declaration calls for the continuation of existing regional infrastructure projects while exploring new financing mechanisms to support future investments.
The four countries also expressed support for strengthening cultural and people-to-people ties across the region and reaffirmed their commitment to the continued work of the International Visegrad Fund.
Finally, the leaders tasked the relevant ministers with identifying additional opportunities for regional cooperation and presenting their findings before the end of the year.
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