The Russian aggression in Ukraine renewed discussions on the EU enlargement policy and the need for the revitalization of the process of European integration of like-minded countries in the Southern and Eastern Neighborhoods. Their integration into the EU is in the strategic and geopolitical interest of all V4 countries and in all V4 countries there is strong support for active enlargement possibility both on political and social level. Therefore, the V4 countries want to maintain the momentum and use it to accelerate the reform in countries of both regions and their integration process to the EU and to advocate for more active engagement of the EU with WB6 and Associate Trio. However, given the frozen high level political ties within the Group (especially between Poland and Hungary), they are now focusing more on supporting aspirant and candidate countries through individual actions and through wider EU coalitions, deepening bilateral cooperation and assisting them in the transformation process (support through expert cooperation, development assistance etc.).
V4 countries are also still engaged in assisting WB6 and Associate Trio through activities of the Integrational Visegrad Fund (IVF). IVF support is manifested not only through financing projects but also through Civil Servants Mobility Program (CSMP) – experience sharing instrument for civil servants – or support of international mobility of students, experts and artists. IVF has also assisted in boosting WB6 cooperation in supporting civil society and expert cooperation through the support of the Western Balkan Fund. The cooperation of civil society and experts from V4, WB6 and Associate Trio is also very advanced with a lot of think tanks developing various activities to support enlargement policy.
As for now, V4 countries advocate for EU active engagement and enlargement policy through cooperation with likeminded countries in different ad-hoc coalitions in the framework of the EU. The support for WB6 and Associate Trio is also the issue of cooperation in the other regional format like the Three Seas Initiative (3S), The Bucharest Nine (B9) and the Slavkov Triangle.
Read the policy brief here:
The Perception of Visegrad Group on Enlargement in light of the Russian War on Ukraine