Press Advisories

26. 8. 2016 23:57

Premier Sobotka met with V4 prime ministers and the German chancellor to discuss trust in the EU and security of European citizens

The beginning of a meeting between Visegrad Group prime ministers and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, 26 August 2016.
The beginning of a meeting between Visegrad Group prime ministers and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, 26 August 2016.
A second summit of the Visegrad Group during the Polish presidency was held in Warsaw on Friday 26 August 2016. Its guest was German Chancellor Angela Merkel whose appearance came in the wake of her yesterday's official visit to Prague. The main topic of today's summit was the future of the European Union and preparation for a conference of the 27 leaders of Member States that will be held next month in Bratislava.

The prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia agreed with German Chancellor Angela Merkel today that the outcome of the British referendum provide an impuls for the 27 Member States to work on a new future of the European Union.

In this regard, Premier Bohuslav Sobotka said that any reform of the European Union must be based on trust and cooperation on topics on which Member States are in agreement. In the past, EU countries exhausted and alienated themselves in unnecessary disputes, in respect of which agreement could not be found. The Czech prime minister believes that a change in this regard is necessary.

Sobotka also informed its partners of the need to restore people's trust in the EU.

"First and foremost, we must be able to guarantee security for European citizens. We must continue the Coast Guard Agency project, and the time has now come to consider the creation of a joint European army. Only EU-wide armed forces will allow us to defend our interests on our own," stated Prime Minister Sobotka.

From the viewpoint of the Czech government, the EU's reform also needs to focus on equalizing the living standard across the organization. A prerequisite for prosperity and the equalization of the standard of living is a well-functioning internal market without barriers and without unnecessary regulation.

The debate about future steps to be taken in the EU reform will continue in Bratislava on 16 September 2016 during an informal summit of the heads of state and prime ministers of the 27 Member States, where the leaders are expected to agree to the EU's future direction without the United Kingdom.

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