TIRANA – As Poland will take over the presidency of the Visegrad Group (V4) from the Czech Republic on 1 July this year, Ambassadors of the member countries invited to a working luncheon Albania’s President Ilir Meta in Tirana on Friday.
“It was a pleasure to be invited to a working luncheon esterday on the occasion of the transfer of the Presidency of Group V-4 from the Czech Republic to Poland,” said Meta in a post on social networks on Friday.
On that occasion the President expressed his confidence in the success of the new Polish leadership in achieving very ambitious objectives in a period of great challenges for the entire Europe.
“I congratulated the Ambassador of the Czech Republic for the successful leadership of the Group during a difficult year,” he said.
In the meantime Albania’s Head of State considered the motto of the upcoming Polish Presidency: “Back on Track” as inspirational and very meaningful currently for everyone.
“I expressed confidence in the success of the new Polish leadership in achieving the very ambitious objectives in a period of great challenges for the entire Europe. The motto of the Polish Presidency: “Back on Track” is inspirational being very meaningful currently for everyone,” he said.
Further on Meta thanked the countries of Group V-4 for their support to Albania in the European integration process.
“Their cooperation is an excellent example for our region,” said President Meta.
Poland’s presidency of the V4 is to be inaugurated on June 30 at the headquarters of the Polish Armed Forces in Brussels with the participation of ambassadors to the EU of the Visegrad Group countries and diplomatic envoys of Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Slovenia as well as of EU commissioners from the V4 countries, reported PAP news agency.
“During Poland’s Presidency there are important events that the EU will have to face together, including talks on the future EU budget and recovery fund, negotiations on the agreement with the United Kingdom on future partnership and legislative work related to the European Green Deal. In talks with our partners, we want to emphasise these issues,” Permanent Representative of Poland to the EU Andrzej Sados told PAP.
Poland’s representation to the EU in Brussels plans to mark the occasion by organising over 300 political, economic and cultural events within six months despite the restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Poland wants to use this period to demonstrate Central European solidarity in the face of difficult talks on the EU financial framework, future EU enlargement or negotiations with Great Britain, according to revelations of Polish diplomats in Brussels. “It will also be a period of intensive legislative work in the European Commission on the EU climate policy.”
The agenda of Polish Presidency includes among others many events organised with the participation of other Central and Eastern European countries – the Baltic States, Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia. Although many meetings will be held during the Polish Presidency with the participation of countries at various diplomatic levels that will be devoted to specific EU themes.
Such activities as seminars on cooperation in the field of cybersecurity, the European Green Deal, migration and the EU funding program for science Horizon Europe are planned for September. A series of multilateral meetings will also take place on, for example, the European minimum wage, the rule of law or future EU relations with the United Kingdom.
The V4 was formally created on 15 February 1991 with the signing of the Declaration on Cooperation between the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic, the Republic of Poland and the Republic of Hungary in striving for European integration.
Next year, still during the Polish Presidency,
the Visegrád Group will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of its establishment which has proved to be a lasting alliance of four Central European countries.
