Valletta, Nov 12 (CTK special correspondent) – The Visegrad Four group (V4), including Prague, will raise its contribution to the fund in aid of Africa by 400,000 euros and it will also offer 300 more people to EU agencies dealing with border protection and asylum policy, Czech PM Bohuslav Sobotka said yesterday.
The V4 also includes Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.
Sobotka talked to journalists after meeting his Hungarian and Slovak counterparts on the sidelines of the EU-Africa summit in Malta, where he also represented the Polish prime minister who had to excuse herself from the event.
The planned increase in aid shows the V4´s interest in solving the migrant crisis, Sobotka said.
Later yesterday, the V4´s intention to offer hundreds of experts to European agencies was appreciated by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk.
The fund for Africa was officially established at the Malta summit yesterday.
The EC has earmarked 1.8 billion euros for it and further money will be provided by EU members and some countries outside the EU with the aim to help solve crises in Africa and enhance stability in the region.
The Czech Republic will send 600,000 euros to the fund.
Sobotka said the V4 prime ministers have agreed that their countries will jointly provide further money so that the V4´s total contribution is three million euros.
“If we manage to put three million euros [in the fund] as the V4, we should gain one representative on the board of managers. It would strengthen our influence on the decision making on how to use the money,” Sobotka said.
He said the money is to go to two dozen African states and help to ensure drinking water sources and new jobs.
“Many African countries also called for investments that would lead to the industrialisation of Africa. Access to electric energy was mainly spoken about,” Sobotka said.
The V4 countries will also provide 300 more people to the Frontex agency that deals with the Schengen border protection, and to the EASO agency whose experts deal with a common European asylum system and European cooperation issues.
Prague promotes an increase in Frontex´s budget and also wants Frontex to have its own staff and equipment. At present, it must ask the EU countries for everything.
