Prime Minister Fiala met with V4 Prime Ministers in Bratislava and presented the priorities of the Czech Presidency

On Monday, 26 June 2023, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala attended a meeting of the Prime Ministers of the V4 countries in Bratislava. The leaders discussed migration, the war in Ukraine, cooperation in the energy sector and the challenges of green transformation. The summit concluded Slovakia's one-year presidency of the Visegrad Group, which will be taken over by the Czech Republic from 1 July. The main priorities of the Czech Presidency, which Prime Minister Fiala presented at the meeting, will be a secure and advanced society, an innovative and interconnected economy and support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

The main topics of the summit included the fight against irregular migration and smuggling groups and proposed changes to the common European migration policy. The number of irregular migrants entering Europe is not decreasing. “All V4 countries are unanimous in their opinion that refugee quotas are not the solution. They don't work and they can't work. We need to focus on a workable return policy, effective protection of the EU’s external borders and enhanced cooperation with the countries of origin. We are constantly monitoring the situation at the border, we are cooperating with other countries and we are ready to react immediately if necessary,” said the Prime Minister.

Ukraine

The situation in Ukraine was another topic of the meeting. Prime Minister Fiala stressed that it is necessary to do everything to help Ukraine and to continue collective pressure on Russia. Our unity in the EU and NATO is the strongest and most powerful message to Russia. The V4 should also be a driving force in the accession process, working with Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkan countries. The leaders also discussed the current situation in Russia. “The most important thing is that the citizens of the V4 are not in any immediate danger at the moment. However, we will all continue to monitor domestic political developments in Russia and we are ready to cooperate if necessary,” added Prime Minister Fiala.

Czech Presidency of the V4

The Czech Republic takes over its seventh presidency of the Visegrad Group on 1 July 2023 under the slogan “V4 for Citizens”. The Czech Republic will build on the efforts of the Slovak Presidency to return to the roots of Visegrad cooperation, based on shared principles of human rights, freedom, democracy, the rule of law, good neighbourly relations and commitment to European integration and the transatlantic alliance.

The first priority of the Czech Presidency will be a safe and advanced society. “We want to continue existing successful projects that facilitate coexistence in our region. This concerns culture, education, science and research, sport, but also internal and external security, including migration and other areas,” added the Prime Minister. The first priority will include traditional V4 cooperation in the areas of internal and external security, civil protection, public administration and health.

The second priority will be the Innovative and Connected Economy, which will focus on specific sectoral projects and initiatives that have practical benefits for the citizens of the V4 countries and are related in particular to strengthening connectivity in transport and energy sector, promoting resilience by strengthening energy and raw material security. The third priority of the Czech Presidency will be to respond to Russia's aggression against Ukraine and its consequences for that country, neighbouring Moldova and the wider region. It will focus on political and practical support for Ukraine and its citizens at a number of levels and in a number of sectors.