The Visegrád countries continue to play a key role in the EU policy which is designed to help the eastern partner countries to achieve stability and to embark on a path of growth, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs István Mikola pointed out at the meeting of the Deputy Foreign Ministers of the Visegrád countries held in Batumi in Georgia.

At the two-day international conference which began on 18 June, attendees reviewed the experiences of the so-called association agreement between Georgia and the European Union, with special regard to the period which has elapsed since the summit held in Riga in May.

At the thematic meeting focusing on the cooperation of the V4 and the eastern partner countries, Mr Mikola highlighted: the Visegrád countries have been ready to share their knowledge and experience regarding accession ever since their accession to the EU. The State Secretary stressed the particular significance of the eastern partnership. He drew the attendees’ attention to the summit held in Riga in May where they reviewed the results achieved up to that point in time also with regard to the relevant geopolitical correlations, and which repeatedly underlined the importance of the eastern partnership. Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine play a key role in the success of the partnership.

According to the State Secretary for Security Policy and International Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the countries concerned must be given more attention and an enlarged pool of financial resources. „This is the time to concentrate our efforts on stability and reforms”, the State Secretary said. Mr Mikola took the view that communication should be improved in order to make the wider public more aware of all the advantages that stem from partnership, and said that the lifting of the visa requirement is an excellent example. Additionally, Riga also confirmed that there is plenty of scope for cooperation in the fields of energy, transport and the digital economy. In this effort, the International Visegrád Fund may be of assistance in a number of ways, including know-how exchange and the sharing of experiences. Tenders and calls for proposals are open to Georgian organisations, municipalities and educational institutions, while the various mobility scholarship programmes are available to students.

The V4 must assume a leading role in promoting successful cooperation between the EU and Georgia in every field, Mr Mikola highlighted. He also drew attention to the fact that Hungary supports Georgia’s aspirations to join the EU and NATO, and its efforts to eliminate the consequences of the internal conflicts in Abkhazia and Southern Ossetia, and to stabilise its situation. The State Secretary said that Hungary continues to support Georgia’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

(Prime Minister's Office)