File photo of the V4 presidents. L-R: former Polish President Andrzej Duda, Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, and Czech President Petr Pavel
The heads of state of the Visegrad Group (V4) focused on the importance of Visegrad cooperation and strengthening the region’s competitiveness at their meeting in Esztergom. After the meeting, President Tamás Sulyok emphasized: “The cooperation of the Visegrad Group remains one of the most important pillars of stability in Central Europe.”
The Hungarian head of state said, history has repeatedly proven that the destinies of the countries in the region are intertwined, and today they still face common challenges in the economic, security, technological, and social spheres. He said:
If we want our region to be one of the safest and most competitive in the world, there is no alternative to close cooperation between the Visegrad countries.”
Tamás Sulyok emphasized that, as the current V4 president, Hungary considers strengthening competitiveness, increasing security, and developing regional cooperation to be priorities. He said that the foundations of cooperation are not purely economic in nature, but are also based on strong shared values: “We have been living side by side for centuries, sharing our cultural heritage and traditions.”
One of the main topics of the meeting was improving competitiveness, in which the Hungarian president highlighted the importance of energy security, including price stability and security of supply. He also touched on demographic challenges, emphasizing the importance of family support. With regard to artificial intelligence, he warned that as technology advances, “we must not lose our ethical compass,” and that transparency in the application of AI, social trust, and the preservation of equal opportunities are fundamental tasks.
Slovak President Peter Pellegrini urged the restoration of the functioning of V4 cooperation, recalling that the region is home to some 60 million people, that gives the format considerable weight.
I am very pleased that today we were able to discuss in a friendly atmosphere how we can help our countries’ competitiveness,” he said, adding that the V4 needs to once again become “the voice of common sense and wisdom” in EU politics.
Peter Pellegrini cited energy prices as one of the biggest risks to European competitiveness and emphasized the importance of infrastructure development and military mobility. With regard to artificial intelligence, he highlighted that the region could be an excellent location for investments requiring large computing capacities, partly due to its stable energy production, including nuclear capacities.
Czech President Petr Pavel struck a more cautious tone, warning against overestimating or underestimating the role of the V4: “There are those who overestimate the weight of the V4 (…) Others, on the other hand, argue that the V4 has lost its relevance. I believe that both extremes are harmful.” He added that discussing differences of opinion is essential for maintaining good neighborly relations.
According to President Pavel, competitiveness must be examined in several dimensions, including defense capabilities and adaptability. With regard to AI, he emphasized the need to reform education systems so that young people are prepared not only for data storage but also for thinking and adaptability. He described the tone of the discussion as constructive and considered it important for the countries of the region to contribute to EU decision-making with constructive proposals.
He said he was pleased to note that “today’s debate was primarily constructive: we are not just criticizing EU proposals, but are willing to come up with constructive proposals to better align them with the specific characteristics and needs of our region — and to find partners for this endeavor within the EU.”
Viktor Orbán (R) with Ilie Bolojan. MTI/Miniszterelnöki Kommunikációs Főosztály/Kaiser Ákos
All the while Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has successfully rescheduled his program after the Polish President has suddenly changed his mind and cancelled their meeting, quoting the “spirit of former Polish President, Lech Kaczynski”, as the reason for the diplomatic snub. The Hungarian PM has held bilateral talks with his Romanian counterpart, Ilie Bolojan, instead.
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Via MTI, ma7.sk; Featured image: X/Dr. Tamás Sulyok
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