The International Visegrad Fund (IVF), headquartered in Bratislava, represents an institutionalized form of mutual cooperation between the Visegrad Group countries--Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. It provides support across seven key areas: Culture, Education, Innovation, Democratic Values, Public Policy, Environment and Tourism, and Social Development. Established in 2000, the IVF is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
While the executive director of the IVF hails from one of the member countries (currently Slovak diplomat Linda Kapustová Helbichová), the deputy executive director comes from a different partner nation.
The Visegrad Group, or V4, was founded by prominent figures in the fight for democracy and freedom, including Presidents Lech Wałęsa and Václav Havel, with Jozsef Antall completing the trio. As Václav Havel aptly put it, the V4 was formed not to create a “cordon sanitaire” between the Soviet Union and Western Europe, but to foster a community of shared democratic ideals.
However, Maja Wawrzyk, the outgoing deputy executive director of the IVF, emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between the Visegrad Group itself and the Fund.
IVF 25
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