Europeupdated 33m ago2 min read
Archive photo · 28 February 2019V4 Presidents Open Summit in Trencin, Slovakia With Ursula Von Der Leyen
4 Asian1 Western MainstreamPhoto: © Scotch Mist / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped for layout
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V4 presidential summit opened in Trencin, Slovakia, with Baka, von der Leyen and others. Leaders called for closer EU enlargement and stronger regional cooperation, despite Ukraine differences.
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V4 Summit in Trenčín
The presidential summit of the Visegrad Group (V4) opened on Wednesday in Trencin in western Slovakia, bringing together Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, Czech President Petr Pavel, Polish President Karol Nawrocki, and Hungarian President Andras Baka. The summit aimed to revitalize cooperation among the four countries and strengthen their collective voice in European affairs, and it also included European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as she attended for the first time. The leaders discussed issues of common interest and ways to strengthen the four countries' position within the European Union (EU) through closer regional cooperation, with the Slovak President's Office saying the European Commission president's participation was unprecedented.
The leaders also framed the venue as symbolic, with the Treaty of Trencin signed there in 1335 preceding a meeting of monarchs in Visegrad that the sources say inspired the founders of the modern-day V4. The summit took place in Trenčín, Slovakia, on 4–5 November for a summit marking 35 years since the V4 group’s establishment, according to Daily News Hungary.
Ukraine Negotiations Role
The V4 leaders called for Europe to play a more important role in negotiations on Ukraine, and the V4 summit in Slovakia emphasized the need to strengthen Europe’s unified voice in negotiations on Ukraine while reaffirming support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. President Pellegrini said the prolonged conflict is an ever-growing burden for European nations, and he suggested that resources allocated to supporting Ukraine could be used for national sectors such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure development. President Pellegrini argued that European countries cannot continue spending up to €100 billion annually on a protracted and devastating conflict while not working simultaneously to find a solution that ends the fighting.
President Petr Pavel urged European countries to build a unified negotiating position and identify Europe’s representatives for future consultations, and he said the lack of coordination could weaken Europe’s position in its relations with Russia and other international partners. The leaders issued a joint statement reaffirming their support for Ukraine, highlighting their commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and its territorial integrity.
Enlargement and Energy
The V4 presidents reaffirmed their commitment to EU enlargement at the V4 presidential summit in Trencin in western Slovakia, and Xinhua reported that the presidents stressed the accession process should remain fair, rigorous and predictable. The presidents said progress and concrete reforms should serve as the basis for evaluating candidate countries, and they expressed readiness to assist candidate states through practical cooperation and the International Visegrad Fund. The leaders also reaffirmed continued support for Ukraine and enhanced European energy security, and they stressed that high energy prices posed a challenge to Europe's competitiveness.
The presidents advocated a combination of immediate support measures and long-term solutions, including greater investment in energy infrastructure, cross-border interconnectors and energy storage facilities. In a declaration, the presidents said, "We're convinced that EU enlargement and support for Ukraine, as well as affordable and secure energy, are interlinked strategic priorities," linking enlargement, Ukraine support, and energy affordability and security.
