Visegrad 4 leaders agree to strengthen coordination ahead of EU summits

Prime ministers of the Visegrad Four (V4) countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) agreed on Thursday to intensify coordination and seek common positions ahead of European Council meetings, reported Xinhua.

According to the News Agency of the Slovak Republic (TASR), the agreement was reached at a meeting at Bratislava Castle attended by the four V4 prime ministers and Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin.

The leaders said their countries share common interests in preparations for the EU's next long-term budget, including support for the Common Agricultural Policy, reducing regional disparities and addressing the high defense costs faced by countries on the EU's eastern flank.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the leaders were seeking to restore the strength and influence of the V4, stressing that closer cooperation would benefit both the member countries and the EU. He also pointed out that V4 countries pay the highest energy prices not only in the EU but in the world. Prices must fall, Tusk said, adding that Poland would therefore block proposals that would result in higher energy prices.

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar described the V4 format as important regional cooperation. "The V4 is good because we do not talk about what divides us, but focus on what unites us within the Union and what we can represent together," he said. Magyar also backed stronger cooperation among the V4 countries, stressing the importance of strict border protection against illegal migration and a pragmatic solution to the energy crisis.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis called for a fair and balanced EU budget that reflects differences in the economic development of members and protects countries with strong industrial bases. He called for the postponement of the EU's ETS2 emissions trading system, arguing that the bloc's climate policies were placing excessive pressure on industry and households.

The V4 leaders agreed that more frequent consultations would help their countries better coordinate positions on issues of common interest within the EU.