Czech Republic supports V4 position on various EU issues at Bratislava Summit

The Czech Republic said it supported the joint position of Visegrad Four (V4) countries -- Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia -- at the informal summit of EU leaders here on Friday.

The joint position supports bolstering EU security, providing tighter control of external borders and preserving the Union's Cohesion Policy, the free market and the Schengen zone, Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka announced after arriving at Bratislava Castle for the summit on Friday.

"The Czech Republic is convinced that we shouldn't waste time on a discussion on European institutions. We should focus instead on the practical issues required for people's everyday lives, namely, safety, security and prosperity," said Sobotka.

The Czech prime minister said he wasn't worried that the conclusions of the summit might be inadequate due to differences of opinion.

"There's a very strong will within the EU to continue cooperation. There's a plethora of issues that we agree on. We are speaking about security, the fight against terrorism and putting a stop to illegal migration. We have a shared interest in employment and in modernizing the European economy. Europe must stay competitive," stressed Sobotka.

The Slovak capital is hosting the leaders of all EU member states, excluding Britain, for the first time ever. A total of 343 delegates, 1,350 journalists, including 1,100 from abroad, have registered for the summit.

The first session was dedicated to diagnosing the current situation in the EU, while the second focused on specific steps that need to be taken in the next few months. Delegates will also discuss the fallout from Brexit. Endit