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The European affairs committees of the Visegrád Group – Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, and the Czech Republic – parliaments “strongly condemned” the war in Ukraine in a joint final statement after meeting in Budapest on Monday.
Fidesz MP Richárd Hörcsik, the chairman of the Hungarian parliament’s European affairs committee, said that in addition to the war in Ukraine, the statement focused on issues affecting the daily life of the V4, including energy security.
Referring to Ukrainian grain, he said agriculture is a vital sector in all four countries, and the current situation should not be allowed to impact their farmers severely. He stressed that while the V4 countries have different policies in many respects, “we still look at what unites us.”
Some issues in the EU area can be better addressed together than individually,”
he said.
The final statement expressed support for Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty and for preserving its territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. The committees called for an immediate end to deliberate attacks on Ukraine’s vital infrastructure and civilian targets. They highlighted a UN General Assembly resolution, citing the organization’s founding document, which they said would serve as the basis for a “comprehensive, just, and lasting peace” in Ukraine. They also called for the establishment of a mechanism, in accordance with international law, to hold Russia fully accountable for its actions.
Participants in the meeting welcomed the EU’s decision to grant candidate status to Ukraine, Moldova, and Bosnia-Herzegovina and to open accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia after several years of delay. At the same time, they called for the acceleration of preparations for Georgia’s candidacy and added that they expected the EU’s enlargement policy to be given new impetus during the next Presidency. They supported strengthening the EU’s external borders to promote effective action against illegal migration and human smuggling.
Featured photo via Facebook/Hörcsik Richárd