EU enlargement, support for Ukraine and the availability of energy will be high on the agenda of a summit of the Visegrad Group (V4 - Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland) presidents, which will take place in Trenčin, the European Capital of Culture for 2026, on 4 and 5 November, with the summit being hosted by Slovak President Peter Pellegrini as part of Slovakia's V4 presidency.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has also accepted an invitation to attend the summit. The event will take place in a year in which the V4 marks the 35th anniversary of its founding, said the communications department.
The summit should reaffirm the V4 countries' shared commitment to continuing their cooperation, fostering mutual understanding and seeking common solutions to the challenges facing the Central European region. One of the main topics of discussion will be EU enlargement, which Slovakia views as an important tool for strengthening peace, stability and Europe's competitiveness. The presidents will also discuss the situation in Ukraine, and in particular support for its people over the coming winter, the country's post-war reconstruction and its European integration. Attention will also be paid to the accessibility of energy, which directly affects people's living standards, the competitiveness of the European economy and the future of industry.
International Visegrad Fund executive director Linda Kapustova Helbichova will also take part in the talks on EU enlargement and the situation in Ukraine, and the V4 heads of state and the EC president will have an opportunity to discuss current foreign and European policy issues during a working lunch.
The summit programme will begin next Wednesday (4 November), when the V4 presidents will attend a presentation of the main conclusions of talks held by V4 central bank governors and OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann. The evening programme will continue with a gala concert by the Lukas Oravec V4 Quartet at Trenčin Synagogue. The ensemble, which is made up of musicians from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary, will symbolically highlight the cultural affinity and close ties between the V4 countries.
The main talks will take place at Trenčin Castle on Thursday (5 November). At the end of the programme, the heads of state will visit the Fiesta Bridge in Trenčin, whose construction was supported by EU funding.
Source: TASR
