Parliamentary State Secretary Zsolt Nèmeth declared that the cooperation of Visegrád, Baltic and Nordic states could be efficient when it comes to EU enlargement, EU neighbourhood policy and relations with Russia. The Secretary of State of the MFA responsible for Parliamentary Affairs represented Hungary at a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Visegrád group (V4 - Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia), the Baltic States and Scandinavian countries held on 20th February in Gdansk, Poland.

Zsolt Nèmeth told the press that they discussed several topics, but it was the enlargement of the Union, its neighbourhood policy and relations with Russia in which especially successful cooperation seemed possible, because these are the issues that have relevance to all three regions.

Poland, the current President of the V4, hosted the event; the next one is expected to be organised in one of the Baltic states - he said.

The Hungarian State Secretary emphasised that the next Eastern Partnership Summit was going to be organised during the second half of the year, during Lithuania's Presidency of the EU. In this respect, he noted: Hungary supports the signing of an Association and Free Trade Agreement with Ukraine, which is all the more important because Russia persistently raises the possibility of a customs union with the country.

With respect to EU enlargement, Zsolt Németh revealed that there was agreement at the conference that everything should be done to begin accession talks at the earliest opportunity with Serbia and Montenegro.

Zsolt Nèmeth mentioned that on the sidelines of the conference in Gdansk, he also met with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.

Hungarian-Polish cooperation also carries a special significance because of the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2014-2020), because Poland is not only a Visegrád partner, but together with Hungary is also part of the Friends of Cohesion Group and the two countries rallied together to preserve the level of CAP funding - he pointed out. He added that like Hungary, Poland was also satisfied with the outcome of the budget negotiations.

Zsolt Nèmeth also mentioned that they managed to put aside funds in the next MFF budget to support infrastructure projects in Central-European countries.

He also mentioned that security policy was also on the agenda at the meeting. There is a need for a new European security policy and the stabilisation of the Western Balkans region needs to play a major part in it - he said. He added that hopefully further Western Balkan countries, Montenegro and Macedonia will also be invited to join the North Atlantic Alliance.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)