Assistance to Ukraine and preparation for further challenges related to irregular migration were the main topics of the meeting of the Directors-General of Crisis Management and Civil Protection of the V4 countries. The formation includes Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.
Last week's two-day conference focused on developing cooperation and sharing experiences in areas representing the greatest challenges currently facing the region. The V4 countries have been under direct pressure in recent years with the arrival of people fleeing Russia's war in Ukraine, irregular migration along the Western Balkan route, and massive forest fires and floods. "Cooperation between the V4 countries can be an example of how challenges that in many ways exceed the capacity of any one state can be faced together," said Lubomir Šablica, State Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior.
Polish, Czech and Hungarian colleagues presented the functioning of basic mechanisms for the arrival of departees, logistic HUBs and information centres. They also shared valuable information that can help to streamline these processes on the Slovak side. The Director General of the Crisis Management Section informed about the steps that are being taken and planned in order to mitigate irregular migration in cooperation with the Police Force. "It is our duty to ensure that the steps taken to mitigate the impact of this phenomenon are legitimate within the framework of international law, while taking into account all security aspects. The V4 countries are not among the target countries for these persons, yet we must be prepared for all sorts of possibilities," stressed Michaela Kaňová, Director General of the Crisis Management Section of the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic.
Source: TASR
