“Visegrád Group (V4) cooperation is based on trust and on shared values and interests”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Minister of State for Cultural and Science Diplomacy said prior to a concert to mark the end of the Polish presidency of the V4 and the beginning of the Group’s Hungarian presidency at the Budapest Music Centre on Thursday.
István Íjgyártó reminded those present that Hungary will take over the rotating presidency of the V4 in two day’s time.
“One of the fundamental principles of cooperation between the four nations is continuity, and in this spirit the Hungarian presidency will be building on the Polish presidency”, he stressed, adding: “Poland led the Visegrád Group successfully through a difficult period”.
Download
According to Mr. Íjgyártó, the Hungarian presidency will also be facing its fair share of challenges and changes, including Brexit negotiations, the debate on the future of the European Union, and the migration crisis. “In the midst of these challenges, we must however not lose sight of our goal of making Central Europe a more competitive and innovative region”, he highlighted. “The upcoming year of the Hungarian V4 presidency is built on four pillars: European Visegrád, Regional Visegrád, Digital Visegrád and Global Visegrád”, he said.
The V4 Connects
The Minister of State explained that the Hungarian presidency would be devoting equal attention to debates on the most important European issues; reinforcing transport, energy and social links that connect the Central European region; the challenges posed by digitalisation, science and innovation, and to the global reinforcement of the V4 trademark.
In this spirit, the motto of the Hungarian presidency will be “The V4 Connects”, Mr. Íjgyártó announced.
The Polish Foreign Ministry’s State Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs, Polish Community Abroad, Consular Affairs and Public Diplomacy, Jan Dziedziczak pointed out the historical friendship between Hungary and Poland, stressing its important amidst today’s challenges.
“Regional cooperation is one of the cornerstones of Polish foreign policy, and it is within this framework that we wish to position Central Europe as one of the continent’s important components”, he said.
Mr. Dziedziczak emphasised: “The task of the Visegrád Group is, amongst others, to react flexibly to rapidly changing challenges and to take part in the debate on the future of the European Union, while building on the past”.
(MTI)
