President: Visegrad Fund One of Greatest Achievements of V4 cooperation

Bratislava, 10 June (TASR) - The setting up of the International Visegrad Fund is one of the greatest achievements of the Visegrad Four (V4: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) cooperation, President Peter Pellegrini said during the celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the Fund's establishment, pointing out that over the past 25 years the Fund has supported more than 6,700 projects or 3,000 scholarships and other activities with a total value of €140 million. According to Pellegrini, thousands of professionals and enthusiasts from parts of Central Europe and from various social tiers have had the opportunity, thanks to the Fund, to inspire and develop their talents and also to create lasting partnerships between people and institutions for the benefit of their professions. "The scholarship and residency programmes have shown that mobility knows no borders. Joint cultural activities have confirmed that creativity knows no boundaries," said the head of state. Pellegrini went on to say that the Fund has also become popular because of its openness and inclusiveness. In a quarter of a century, it has gathered so many contacts, ideas and thoughts that the region continues to attract many partners and key players from around the world. The president praised the fact that many successful activities have been developed with important partners, including Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States of America, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, as well as Japan and South Korea. The Fund's programmes have become very popular in key regions such as Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans. In Eastern Europe, programmes now focus on helping victims of the war in Ukraine. am