VISEGRAD AND ITS ‘SOFT POWER’: THE V4 DEVELOPMENTS OF 2009 REVIEWED AND PRIORITIES OF THE UPCOMING PERIOD OUTLINED
VISEGRAD AND ITS ‘SOFT POWER’: THE V4 DEVELOPMENTS OF 2009 REVIEWED AND PRIORITIES OF THE UPCOMING PERIOD OUTLINED

Summary/Abstract: An evaluation of the Visegrad Four’s activities in the past months may be condensed into the following three statements: the V4 is becoming an increasingly efficient form of regional cooperation in Central Europe, an increasingly dynamic regional platform within the EU and an increasingly sought after partner for cooperation in neighboring regions of the Eastern Neighborhood and Western Balkans. The common denominator for all three statements is the emphasis on the positive dynamism of V4 development. The intention of the present paper is not just to evaluate the activities performed within the V4 format, but also to analyze the major aspects or areas of cooperation as well as to outline development trends for the upcoming period of time. Cooperation within the V4 is multilayer and certain abridgements have been, in view of the limited extent of the text, necessary. The first part of the present paper is therefore focused on the most significant activities carried out in the area of foreign and security policy during the latter half of the Polish presidency as well as under the Hungarian one. The second part of the present paper concentrates on reassessment of the cooperation principles and mechanisms aimed at rendering cooperation more intensive and more efficient. The closing part of the present paper identifies and evaluates the most important challenges faced by the V4 presidency taken up by Slovakia on July 1, 2010.

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