Press Advisories

13. 10. 2017 23:22

The prime ministers of the V4 countries held talks with the President of the European Council Tusk in Bratislava on the future direction of the EU

Press Conference of the prime ministers of V4 countries, 13 October 2017.
Press Conference of the prime ministers of V4 countries, 13 October 2017.
At the edge of the Consumer Summit today, the Prime Minister of the European Council, Donald Tusk, met with prime ministers of the Visegrad Group countries. Prime Ministers Bohuslav Sobotka, Robert Fico, Viktor Orbán and Beata Szydlová talked with Donald Tusk about the future direction of European integration and the preparation of the October European Council next week in Brussels.

For V4, it is key to move forward in the months ahead to maintain EU cohesion. The prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia agreed that the debate on the future shape of the EU must remain in the hands of the Member States. It is precisely before the October European Council that President Tusk should present a summary of the current debate on the future of the EU, together with a road map of the next steps over the next two years.

"The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, has the full support of the Visegrad Group, and with V4 we very much welcomed that before the European Council next week, it is Bratislava, where the President concludes his negotiations with European statesmen. It is an important signal for us that V4 and our opinion play a crucial role in the shape of the EU's future," PM Bohuslav Sobotka said after the meeting.

The Czech Republic considers it essential for the future of the EU to safeguard prosperity and security in Europe. In this context, the Czech Government advocates strengthening economic and social convergence between Member States and their regions. As far as security is concerned, the Czech Republic belongs in this area to the European leaders. This week, the Czech government has approved the involvement in permanent structured cooperation (PESCO), which should be launched by the end of this year. "Our involvement in permanent structured cooperation is a strategic decision that is an opportunity to strengthen both our own and union defence capabilities. We are building on the long-standing Czech initiative and the successful DESCOP conference in June," the Czech Prime Minister said.

Prior to meeting with the President of the European Council, V4 Prime Ministers met to address current European issues, including relocating workers. The prime ministers agreed that the positions on the revision of the Posting of Workers Directive will continue to be coordinated and that they would try to gain the support of the wider group of Member States. The priority for the Czech Republic is to preserve the rules of the functioning internal market and to remove obstacles for the free movement of services.

You can find Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka's speech at the Consumer Summit on dual quality food at /en/clenove-vlady/premier/speeches/prime-minister-sobotka-at-the-consumer-summit-we-need-a-european-dual-quality-food-solution-160684/

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