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V4 FMs discuss Ukraine, migration, energy

21.03.2024 23:30
The foreign ministers from the Visegrad Group (V4), comprising Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia, on Thursday reiterated the importance of their alliance in addressing shared concerns such as migration and energy, while their positions on military aid to Ukraine remained unchanged.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski.Photo: PAP/Marcin Cholewiński

The meeting in Prague on Thursday was in part focused on the situation in Ukraine and the strengthening of military support.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský emphasized the group's unanimous view that Russia's aggression in Ukraine violates international law and that Ukraine should regain its full territorial integrity.

The ministers agreed on a 10-percent budget increase for the International Visegrad Fund, which supports civic projects across the member states.

Slovakia's foreign minister introduced the new executive director of the fund, Linda Kapustova Helbichova, signaling a commitment to continue collaborative efforts within the region.

Poland's Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski praised the dialogue as "sincere and lively," acknowledging the differences but also the common interests such as migration, regional infrastructure, and coping with the legacy of communism.

He highlighted the importance of cooperation in these areas, expressing satisfaction with the ongoing partnership and specifically commending Czech efforts in providing ammunition to Ukraine.

Despite the declared cohesive stance on Russia's invasion, Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and his Slovak counterpart Juraj Blanar maintained their countries' reluctance to supply military aid to Kyiv.

Szijjarto stressed Hungary's focus on humanitarian assistance and warned against the dangers of NATO countries sending troops.

Blanar, on the other hand, advocated for a diplomatic path to peace in Ukraine.

Addressing these varying positions, Sikorski critiqued the notion of urging negotiations on the victim of aggression, implying it would essentially demand Ukraine's capitulation and insisted that the aggressor, Putin, must be defeated.

The ministers also discussed maintaining diplomatic channels with Russia despite the conflict, noting recent meetings between Slovak and Hungarian officials and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who is under EU sanctions.

Sikorski, having met Lavrov in the past, stated he has no plans for future meetings, while his Slovak counterpart mentioned the necessity of dialogue for energy security reasons.

Szijjarto highlighted the importance of enforcing existing sanctions before considering any tightening.

(rt/gs)

Source: IAR, PAP