V4 Presidents Express Support for Ukraine and EU Enlargement (2)

Trencin, 5 November (TASR) - At their meeting in Trencin on Thursday, the presidents of the Visegrad Four (V4) countries agreed on supporting a credible, ambitious and merit-based European Union (EU) enlargement policy as a strategic investment in peace, security and the global position of Europe, while also expressing support for Ukraine, its sovereignty, territorial integrity, European future and right to defend itself against Russian aggression, TASR learnt from the President's Office on the same day. In a joint declaration, the presidents called for a just and lasting peace in accordance with international law, stressing that affordable, secure and reliable energy is essential for Europe's competitiveness. The main talks at the Visegrad Group (V4: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) presidential summit began at Trencin Castle on Thursday morning. Czech President Petr Pavel, Polish President Karol Nawrocki and Hungarian head of state Andras Baka arrived in Trencin at the invitation of Slovak President Peter Pellegrini. The summit is being held in an expanded format, with the participation of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. According to the presidents, a united Europe is capable of acting decisively and is essential for ensuring peace, prosperity and stability across the continent. In a joint declaration, Pellegrini, Pavel, Nawrocki and Baka expressed their support for EU enlargement. "The accession process must remain fair, rigorous and predictable, while rewarding tangible progress and reforms," they stated, adding that the V4 countries, drawing on their own experience, are ready to support candidate countries via practical cooperation and the International Visegrad Fund. According to Pellegrini, all four presidents insist that the accession process must be based on meeting individual requirements, meaning no shortcuts or preferential treatment for one member state or potential member state at the expense of another. "Everyone must meet these demanding criteria, just as we all did before being admitted into the European Union," said Pellegrini. The presidents expressed their full support for Montenegro as the closest candidate to joining the EU, adding that a decision to admit Montenegro into the EU in 2028 would also send a positive signal to other countries. According to Pellegrini, the presidents made it clear that there should be no coupling of countries in the EU accession process, as has been discussed in the case of Moldova and Ukraine. "Moldova is moving at its own speed, and Ukraine is moving at its own speed. We'll help each of these countries in their accession processes, but it probably cannot work like this that one country can hold back another or that the accession of one country will be conditional on the accession of another. That would be neither right nor fair," said the Slovak head of state. Baka believes that EU enlargement represents a strategic investment in Europe's peace, security, stability and prosperity. On Ukraine, the leaders stressed the need to continue political, financial, humanitarian, economic and military assistance, while respecting the security and defence policy and the interests of all EU-member states. According to them, Ukraine's European integration should be based on implementing the necessary reforms and the country's reconstruction. In this regard, the V4 is ready to contribute via practical cooperation and regional expertise. Regarding the situation in Ukraine, Pavel called for greater efforts towards achieving a unified European approach. In his view, there's a need to clarify what the EU's position should be, who will negotiate on its behalf, and who will protect its interests. "At the moment we're hearing from many different sides that initiatives are underway across various platforms, but the whole process lacks clear coordination, transparency and information-sharing. As we're talking about European security, it's actually worth considering that, in the fifth year of the war, we still don't have a mechanism enabling us to participate in what is affecting us deeply," he stated. At the meeting the presidents also discussed energy issues, agreeing that the EU must address high energy prices through coordinated measures at both European and national level, combining immediate assistance with long-term solutions. They called for investments in energy infrastructure, cross-border interconnectors, energy storage and diverse energy sources, including nuclear energy and other low-carbon technologies. According to Nawrocki, Poland wants a competitive EU. "We can't accept solutions that will weaken European industry, increase the cost of living and restrict opportunities for industry," he said. Nawrocki stated that Warsaw intends to present Polish interests at the upcoming G20 summit in the USA, while also sharing Central Europe's experiences and perspectives at the forum. In the USA he plans to speak primarily about energy security, the stability of international trade, industrial development, and economic and financial cooperation. According to Baka, ensuring energy supplies, affordability, and maintaining the competitiveness of economies is in the common interests of the V4 countries. "Practical cooperation between governments and consistently representing our common interests in European decision-making are essential," said the Hungarian president. Nawrocki also stated that Central Europe should play an active role in shaping the continent's future. He said that it's important to tap fully the potential to strengthen Central Europe's security and competitiveness during the current era marked by geopolitical uncertainty, a war in its neighbourhood and crises affecting the EU. "A strong Central Europe also means a stronger Europe as a whole," he said. In her post published on the X social network following the talks in Trencin, Ursula von der Leyen stated that EU enlargement is a geostrategic necessity, while the V4 countries are proof of its success. According to her, the EU is working to bring high energy prices down by accelerating the clean transition, diversifying supplies and pooling demand. On Ukraine, she stated that continued military support is essential, while the V4 will also play a key role in Ukraine's future integration into the EU. "We're convinced that EU enlargement and support for Ukraine, as well as affordable and secure energy, are interlinked strategic priorities," the presidents stressed in the declaration. NOTE: This story has been extended to include paragraphs 6 to 9, 11, 13 to 17. jrg/df