V4 presidents meet for talks in Hungary

The presidents of the Visegrád Group — the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary —  gather on Wednesday in Esztergom, Hungary, to address current international and regional challenges.  Czech President Petr Pavel, Slovakia’s Peter Pellegrini, Poland’s Karol Nawrocki and Hungary’s Tamás Sulyok debate how to strengthen Europe’s competitive edge, close productivity and innovation gaps, and manage the ethical and social impacts of AI. They will also review the work of the International Visegrad Fund, the Czech president’s office announced on Tuesday.

Czech President Petr Pavel urged leaders to openly discuss aspects of foreign and security policy where their countries have differing views, the Czech News Agency reported. He stressed that the V4 (Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary) shares more common positions than disagreements.

Pavel highlighted the importance of good neighborly relations, positive cooperation in education, science, research, transport, and energy, and maintaining transparent communication to avoid surprises.

The V4 has previously differed on military aid to Ukraine, with Bratislava and Budapest criticizing arms deliveries to Kyiv. The incoming Czech government, formed by ANO, SPD, and the Motorists, plans to strengthen cooperation within the V4.