Blanar and Szijjarto Highlight Importance of Cooperation among V4 Countries

Budapest, November 14 (TASR) - The Foreign Ministers of Hungary and Slovakia, Peter Szijjarto and Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD), respectively, emphasised the importance of cooperation among the Visegrad Group (V4) countries (Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland) during the Visegrad 4 Business Conference in Budapest on Thursday. According to Szijjarto, Slovakia is Hungary's most important trading partner within the Visegrad Group, with bilateral trade between the two countries reaching a new high last year, surpassing €15 billion. In global terms, trade with Slovakia is the second-most important for Hungary. Blanar pointed to the renewal of cooperation within the V4 and the proper diversification of economic sectors. At the same time, he highlighted the importance of developing economic ties with countries in other regions, namely Malaysia, the Philippines and Algeria. In this context, trade cooperation should be expanded through economic diplomacy. Cooperation within the Visegrad Group should not be affected by political changes in individual countries, stated the Slovak minister. According to him, the grouping has a clear purpose and a promising future. The conference will host more than 300 participants from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland. The key themes will include artificial intelligence, the green economy and the space industry. tl/df/zel