30th anniversary of Visegrad cooperation: Countries to welcome Pak traders, tourists and students

ISLAMABAD: Ambassadors of countries also known as V4–Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, on Monday announced that their countries would welcome Pakistani businessmen, tourists and students, once the Covid-19 pandemic is over.

The envoys of the V4 countries including Polish Ambassador to Pakistan Piotr Opalinski, Deputy Head of Mission of Hungry in Pakistan Bela Fazekas, and a senior diplomat of Czech Republic, were speaking at a news conference, here on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Visegrad cooperation.

Polish Ambassador to Pakistan Piotr Opalinski said that 30 years ago, on 15th February 1991, the presidents of Poland and the Czech Republic, and the prime minister of Hungary signed the Declaration on Cooperation between the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic, the Republic of Poland and the Republic of Hungary in Striving for European Integration in the castle of Visegrad, Hungary.

He said that the declaration provided political framework for extensive cooperation between Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary, and brought closer the societies of the three, and later four, countries.

He added that the original aim of cooperation was striving for the full recovery of the states’ independence, democracy and liberty, eradication of symptoms of totalitarian regimes, construction of parliamentary democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, establishment of free-market economy, comprehensive participation in the European political and economic system, as well as the security and legislative system.

He said that the accession of our countries to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and later joining the European Union, symbolically closed this first stage and opened new perspectives for the Visegrad cooperation.

Today, besides friendship and good neighbourly cooperation, he added that the Visegrad Group countries are also united by the awareness of common social and economic challenges, understanding the value of regional solidarity, and the willingness to realise common goals of both European and foreign policy.

From a 30-year perspective, he added that the Visegrad Group became not only one of the symbols of the new united Europe and a successful political and economic transformation of the countries of the region, but also an example of effective format of regional cooperation within the European Union which contributes to the shaping of European policies and enhancing its economic competitiveness.

However, V4 is not only about political cooperation, he said, adding that one of emblematic institutions of our cooperation is the International Visegrad Fund which, since its establishment in 2000, has granted nearly 2,400 scholarships and supported almost 6,000 projects by NGOs, local governments, scientists and artists, mainly across our four countries, but also in the Eastern Partnership and Western Balkan states.

“We are pleased that the Visegrad Group’s anniversary coincided with Poland’s presidency of the Group from July 2020 until June 2021,” he added.

To a question, ambassador Opalinski said that the V4 countries would welcome Pakistani businessmen, tourists and Pakistani students once the Covid-19 pandemic is over.

He said that the coronavirus had slowed down the process of visa applications.

To another question about the possibility of joining the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he said that joining the CPEC in the future could be considered.

He said that Poland played a key role, in Pakistan availing the GSP Plus status, adding Pakistan’s 90 percent textiles good go to Polish market.

He said that Poland being the chair of the V4 will play further role in enhancing ties of the V4 with Pakistan after the coronavirus pandemic.

Deputy Head of Mission of Hungry in Pakistan Bela Fazekas said the four countries together are supplying their goods to the EU market and all the four also free trade agreements with the Central Asian States.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021