Slovakia is currently chairing the Visegrad Group, a cooperation platform bringing together Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary. Slovak presidency runs until the end of June next year. One of its key events is taking place this week in Trenčín, where the four countries' presidents are meeting for a two-day summit hosted by Slovak President Peter Pellegrini.
President Pellegrini highlighted the importance of the V4, saying: “For Slovakia, the V4 holds a special place. It is a platform where we can speak about our shared interests and better understand each other. Tomorrow, we will discuss topics that are important for our countries, our region and all of Europe, because our place is in the European Union, and we want it to be strong, united and resilient.”
The talks are also attended by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, making this the first V4 presidential summit she has taken part in.
The summit opened on Wednesday with a discussion involving the four countries' central bank governors, who presented their views on the region's economic future. One of the key messages was that Central Europe's future prosperity will depend increasingly on how well countries develop people's skills and adapt to changes in the labour market.
The discussion highlighted several challenges facing the region, including an ageing population, a shortage of young workers and rapid technological change, particularly the development of artificial intelligence. The presidents also pointed to the need to improve productivity, strengthen education and promote lifelong learning.
President Pellegrini stressed that education must better reflect the needs of employers and the changing labour market. He also called for more opportunities for young people to develop their skills and build their futures at home, while making better use of experience gained abroad.
The main talks on Thursday are focusing on the EU's enlargement, the situation in Ukraine and energy security. With Ursula von der Leyen joining the meeting, the V4 leaders also have an opportunity to discuss their regional priorities in a broader European context.
Reflecting on the motto of Slovakia's Visegrad Group presidency, President Peter Pellegrini drew a parallel between leading the V4 and conducting a band: “The Slovak presidency of the Visegrad Group is guided by the motto ‘Together for a Stronger Europe’. You could compare the presidency to being a band leader for a season. The leader does not command the stage alone; the aim is to bring out the best in the whole group while respecting every individual voice. In public life, as in music, individual brilliance is never enough. The whole band needs to play in harmony. And in jazz, harmony does not mean playing the same note. It means bringing different instruments and distinct melodiestogether. Does that sound familiar? It is the very essence of Europe: united in diversity.”
President Peter Pellegrini introduced the Lukáš Oravec Quartet – a group of talented musicians from all four Visegrad countries, whose music brings their different nations and traditions together in one shared harmony, adding to the atmosphere of the meeting.
TASR
