The Visegrad Group (also known as the "Visegrad Four" or simply "V4") reflects the efforts of the countries of the central European region to work together in a number of fields of common interest within the all-European integration. Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia have always been part of a single civilization sharing cultural and intellectual values and common roots in diverse religious traditions, which they wish to preserve and further strengthen.
All V4 countries aspired to become members of the European Union, perceiving their integration in the EU as another step forward in the process of overcoming artificial dividing lines in Europe through mutual support. Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia reached this aim on May 1, 2004, when they jointly became EU member states.
The V4 format was neither created as an alternative to the all-European integration efforts, nor does it try to compete with other existing central European structures. Its activities are also in no way aimed at weakening ties with other countries. On the contrary, the group aims at encouraging optimum cooperation with all countries—in the neighborhood in particular—its ultimate interest being stable and prosperous democratic development in Europe.
The Visegrad Group wishes to contribute towards building the European security architecture based on effective, functionally complementary, and mutually reinforcing cooperation and coordination within the existing European and transatlantic institutions.
In order to preserve and promote cultural cohesion, cooperation within the Visegrad Group enhances the imparting of values in the field of culture, education, science and the exchange of information.
All the activities of the Visegrad Group are aimed at strengthening the stability in the central Europe. The participating countries perceive their cooperation as a challenge and its success as the best proof of their ability to integrate into such structures such as the European Union.
