The Role of the Visegrad Cooperation in EU Foreign Relations

Abstract

The Visegrad Group reflects the ongoing efforts of the countries of the Central European region to cooperate in a number of fields of common interest within the European integration. Despite the diverse roots of their religious and social backgrounds, particular economic and geopolitical interests, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia have always been part of a common civilization sharing cultural and intellectual values. The V4 concentrates on such issues as the future of cohesion policy, strategic programming and the regional development policy. The major task is to promote the EU growth potential by pursuing the most important initiatives such as completion of the Single Market or governance of the Economic and Monetary Union. The Visegrad Group should serve to better coordinate the V4 positions with regard to EU policy towards EaP countries, in particular Ukraine, Belarus and the Western Balkans. Another important aspect of the V4 cooperation within EU foreign relations concerns not only Central-Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, but also the collaboration with Japan, China, Israel or Egypt. Concerning the short-term challenges, it is essential to focus on networking and improving people-to-people contacts between Eastern and Central Europe through various national programmes and initiatives of individual V4 partners. From the Polish perspective, the aim of the Visegrad Group is to further strengthen the V4 position within international forums and to achieve a further EU enlargement. Concerning the issue of the V4 geopolitical position, it is natural that they will support the further sustainability of the EU project, the EU enlargement policy and the development of neighbourhood policy. The V4 should cooperate with the Eastern Partnership area in order to successfully complete the EU integration process which later requires further transformation.