The Visegrad Group (V4) should become the centre of European economic development in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Polish President Andrzej Duda said in Warsaw on Friday, as he welcomed the arriving V4 premiers at the regional summit.

Polish President Andrzej Duda encouraged the heads of government of the V4 countries to develop a common position on the EU s draft 2021-2027 budget, and to engage in effective negotiations about it with the EU.

We want our region to be a „centre for European development in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic,” he said, adding that this required an ambitious EU budget based on progress, European cohesion and major infrastructural developments, which would stimulate „the European economy in our region”.

Referring to the upcoming 30th anniversary of the founding of the V4 bloc next year, President Duda highlighted two historical aspects, which he considered crucially important: firstly, that regional cooperation has provided rationale for European unification, including the integration of the V4 states into the EU, and secondly, that the bloc s strong position has allowed it to influence key issues within the EU in recent years. For example, despite tremendous pressure on the issue of refugee quotas, the Visegrad countries were right from the start, Mr Duda said. He underlined that the V4 did not agree to the relocation of refugees without consent from the refugees themselves, and also from the potential host countries. „Forced relocation is against human rights and encourages people smuggling,” he added.

He said now that we are experiencing a surge in migration, the basic task of the V4 bloc is to secure its borders, thus preserving the security of its citizens, and to tackle the conflicts that cause migration at their origin.

With regard to the draft EU budget, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki held a joint press conference on Friday morning with Igor Matovic, his Slovak counterpart. Mr Morawiecki welcomed that Warsaw and Bratislava, along with the V4 bloc as a whole, represented a very similar view on the allocation of EU funds.

The V4 summit in Poland marked PM Matovic s first official foreign trip since his inauguration. Matovic told the press briefing that Slovakia wants to draw on Poland s experience in terms of the efficient use of EU funds, adding that this was a big problem for Bratislava, along with the corruption associated with the allocation of the funds.

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Following Mr Duda s speech, the V4 prime ministers will hold a discussion at Warsaw s Belweder Presidential Palace, followed by a joint press conference.