Four EPP Group Members from the 4 countries of the Visegrád Group today affirmed their commitment to EU values and the rule of law principles in a joint declaration on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Visegrád Cooperation Agreement, which will take place on Monday 15 February.

The declaration, signed by Ivan Štefanec, Jan Olbrycht, Michaela Šojdrová and György Hölvényi, reads as follows:

“We commemorate with respect the 30 years of Visegrád cooperation as a symbol of the mutual efforts of our countries in supporting the development of democracy, security and stability of the Central European region.

With the deepening of ties between our countries in the context of European integration, the significance of this partnership has grown for our citizens. The Visegrád partnership has enabled the safeguarding of Central European interests, among others, in the fields of different policies and the future of Europe in general.

Good relations between our neighbouring countries and the successful continuation of V4 collaboration must be based on shared values and on respecting the principles included in the European Treaties. We put emphasis on adhering to the principles of the rule of law and principles of subsidiarity, particularly in cultural-ethical topics.

Our countries belong to the civilisation founded on common cultural and intellectual values with shared Christian roots, in whose preservation and strengthening lies the future of the Central European region. We bear the legacy of the 20th century totalitarian regimes and this memory has a strong influence on our positions. Based on this own historical experience, we are convinced that the Visegrád countries are able to strongly facilitate the future of European cooperation in several common challenges affecting Europe as a whole. A functioning Visegrád Four cooperation should strengthen European integration and improve our citizens’ lives.”

The Visegrád Group, or the V4, is an association of 4 countries (Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary) created with the aim of deepening cooperation with each other, initially in matters related to the process of joining the EU and NATO. This cooperation was launched after the meeting on 15 February 1991 of  the Presidents of Poland, Lech Wałęsa, and, at that time Czechoslovakia, Václav Havel, and the Prime Minister of Hungary, József Antall, at the castle in the Hungarian city Visegrád. Following the break-up of Czechoslovakia on 1 January 1993, the Czech Republic and Slovakia became members of the group.