Within the authority of the Czech Presidency of the V4, a session of the Senior Group of the four Visegrad Group countries (Visegrad Group) was held at Prague’s House of the Army on 11th December. The session was chaired by Mr. Jakub Landovsky, Deputy Defence Minister, Head of the Defence Policy and Strategy Division, who was representing the Czech Republic.
Exceptionally, this session included the NORDEFCO (Nordic Defence Cooperation) representatives, who were invited to discuss the possibility of future cooperation with the V4, primarily with respect to sharing their knowledge and experiences gained during foreign operations. "The long-term vision of the two regions is practically identical, both in the development of capabilities, and the potential for joint armament acquisitions," said Deputy Jakub Landovsky.
The deputy defence ministers’ discussions were also focused on the V4’s contribution to implementing and adapting NATO’s Readiness Action Plan. Participants also exchanged their views on the preparation of the NATO Summit in Warsaw which will be held next July, as well as the current stance of the V4.
A consensus was reached on the need to arrange political consultations regarding the potential deployment of the Visegrad EU Battle Group (V4 EU BG) and its readiness both in 2016 and 2019.
Further progress on the formation of the Permanent V4 Modular Force was also discussed. “I view the Modular Force as the flagship project of V4,” explained Tamas Vargha, Political State Secretary of the Hungarian Ministry of Defence. Deputy Landovsky likewise confirmed that all participants welcomed the initiative of the Czech Presidency in strengthening cooperation between the USA and V4. The preparations for the extraordinary session of the Ministers of Defence of V4, to be held in Prague on 17th December, were also discussed.
Sourse: Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces of the Czech Republic