Press Statement, V4 + Portugal Prime Ministers' Meeting

The meeting of the Prime Ministers of the Visegrad Group countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) with the Prime Minister of Portugal was held on 18 June 2007 in Bratislava, Slovakia following the V4 summit.

Mr. José Sócrates, Prime Minister of Portugal, was invited to the V4 summit by Mr. Robert Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia—country currently presiding over the Visegrad Group. The V4+Portugal meeting was also attended by Mr. Mirek Topolánek, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Mr. Ferenc Gyurcsány, Prime Minister of the Republic of Hungary, and Mr. Jarosław Kaczyński, Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland.

Prime Minister of Portugal informed the V4 partners about the priorities of the upcoming Portuguese EU Presidency and about the experience of Portugal entering the Schengen zone and becoming part of the European Monetary Union. Prime Minister J. Sócrates also presented "SISone4ALL", a Portuguese initiative, which will enable to meet the deadline for the opening of internal borders in the new Member States.

Portugal's priorities when it takes over the rotating six-month EU Presidency in July 2007 will be concentrated mainly on economic reform and revitalization of the Lisbon agenda, on deepening relations between Europe and Africa and the Mediterranean, on boosting cooperation between EU and NATO and on immigration policy. If the German EU Presidency can reach agreement on the fate of the future EU treaty at the June summit, it will be up to Portugal to guide negotiations. The Portuguese Presidency will also honour European Union commitments on enlargement. It also intends to keep a European perspective for the Western Balkans.