The Marshal of the Sejm of Poland Marek Kuchciński and the Marshal of the Senate of Poland Stanisław Karczewski convened a working meeting of V4 speakers of Parliament in Przemyśl on 3-4 December 2016. In addition to the hosts and Speaker Kövér, the Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic Andrej Danko, the President of the Czech Senate Milan Štěch and the Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic Jaroslava Pokorná Jermanová also attended the meeting.
The agenda of the event included discussions concerning visions for the future of the European Union, including strengthening the roles national parliaments play, as well as practical proposals aimed at bolstering the recognition of V4 cooperation.
Chair Zsolt Németh, Vice Chair Zsolt Csenger-Zalán and Árpád Velez represented the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Hungarian Parliament at the meeting held in Warsaw on 27-28 February 2017.
The agenda of the meeting featured discussions of the impacts of the European Union, the United States and Russia, as well as the presidency of Donald Trump, on Eastern policy; European security challenges; and questions related to the southern neighbourhood, migration, terrorism, the conflict in Syria and relations with Turkey.
Agreeing, meeting participants emphasised the need for the renewal of the EU and for the Central European region to take a united stance. They noted the crisis of European integration affecting economic, social and political questions. In this context, participants raised the idea of increasing defence spending and a common intent to prevent the evolution of a two-speed Europe.
Regarding the issue of migration, Zsolt Németh – alluding to the motto of the Hungarian V4 presidency, “Visegrád Connects” – spoke positively of the united and consensual actions of the V4. He expressed his hope that member nations will be able to represent their positions in a similarly united fashion as far as the quota issue is concerned. Meeting participants agreed that Germany is no longer able to cope with the question of migration alone, and therefore called it necessary for the V4 to take coordinated action, urging cooperation to prevent the establishment of newer paths for migration.
Naptár
Marek Kuchciński, Marshal of the Polish Sejm, visited Hungary on 24-25 October 2016 and participated in events commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Hungarian revolution and freedom fight of 1956.