Prague, June 8 (CTK) – Viktor Orban, Beata Szydlo, Robert Fico and Bohuslav Sobotka hope that Britain will remain part of the European Union and they oppose the quotas for taking in asylum seekers, they said in a joint statement of prime ministers of the Visegrad Group (V4) countries in Prague yesterday.
Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic are ready to contribute to an effective and sufficient strengthening of the Baltic states, they said before the forthcoming NATO summit.
If Britain stays in the EU, it will be easier to face further demanding challenges, the prime ministers said.
However, the decision is up to the British citizens to make, they added, referring to the British referendum scheduled for June 23.
The prime ministers said the EU should focus on the fundamental causes of the migrant crisis. Proposals based on a mandatory system of relocating asylum seekers might encourage further refugees to come to Europe and further divide the member states and this system would not work in practice, they added.
Joint coherent solutions must be sought, they said.
According to the statement, they seek a reinforced and more productive cooperation between NATO and the EU that would move towards a strategic partnership especially in defence against hybrid threats and cyber attacks.
The NATO summit that will be held in Warsaw in July is an important milestone in the process of a long-term adaptation of the Alliance, the PMs said.
They expressed support to Kiev’s effort to stabilise the country and push through reforms leading to its modernisation. A peaceful solution to the conflict in the eastern part of the country is a precondition for a successful development of Ukraine, the heads of V4 countries said.
The V4 Group supports visa-free relations between the EU and Ukraine and the preservation of Ukraine’s position of a transit country for gas deliveries to Central Europe, they said.
The V4 Group plans to proceed jointly in the negotiations about the multiannual financial framework after 2020. It will also focus on agriculture, especially on the EU market with pork meat and dairy products, the PMs said.
