Organised by the Slovak presidency of the Visegrad Group (V4), the meeting of foreign ministers from the V4 countries and France aimed at identifying possible areas of cooperation, both on European and global issues. The session with the participation of the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian was preceded by a coordination meeting of the V4 ministers, who discussed current issues relating to the cooperation within the group. The Slovak side also briefed the participants on its plans concerning the upcoming ministerial meetings to be held during its presidency of the V4.

The meeting with the French minister focused on the situation in the Middle East and EU defense issues. Minister Czaputowicz presented the progress of work on the further development of the Warsaw Process and encouraged all participants of the Bratislava talks to take part in the working groups, which are being set up to deal with specific areas such as humanitarian issues, non-proliferation of weapons and energy security.

The discussions also explored transatlantic relations. “In Poland’s view, the relations with the US are key to our security. We advocate the increased presence of US troops in Poland, because it strengthens our security,” said the chief of Polish diplomacy. “Other V4 countries recognize the importance of such increased presence in Europe.”

The diplomats agreed that Russia, as a side of the conflict, should be consistently urged to fulfill its obligations and to comply with international law. “We value cooperation with France in terms of EU policy towards Russia, in particular with regards to sanctions,” said the chief of Polish diplomacy.

The talks also concerned the EU's future in the context of Brexit, the elections to the European Parliament and the expectations ahead of the summit in Sibiu. Minister Czaputowicz briefed the participants about the preparations for the Warsaw meeting of heads of governments of countries which joined the EU after 2004, to be held to mark the 15th anniversary of the largest EU enlargement.

In addition, the ministers discussed how to reform and modernize the EU, so that its functioning is acceptable to its citizens. “Together with the V4 countries we share a common vision of the EU. We hope that it will foster the EU’s growth and gain the support of its citizens,” said Minister Czaputowicz. The minister also emphasised the importance of the EU’s competitiveness. At the same time, he noted that Poland is against protectionist measures. “In order to be strong, Europe has to stay competitive. Its four freedoms need to be strengthened,” he stressed. “We feel that it is us who contribute to the EU’s economic growth, and therefore to strengthening its position in the world,” he added.

Furthermore, the ministers talked about the Western Balkans and the EU’s Eastern neighbourhood. The chief of the Polish MFA informed his partners about last week’s ministerial meeting of the Berlin Process in Warsaw and presented the priorities and the progress of preparations for the July Western Balkans summit in Poznan.

 

MFA Press Office

Photo Tymon Markowski / MSZ