V4 is an informal grouping of four central European countries – the Czech Republic, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Poland and the Slovak Republic.
In the wake of post-1989 changes, three central European countries decided to forge closer cooperation with the aim of “returning” to Europe. At a meeting of government representatives of Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary, convened in Bratislava as early as May 1990, the groundwork was laid for developing a project of trilateral cooperation between these countries. Subsequently, on 15 February 1991, Czechoslovakia’s President Václav Havel, Poland’s President Lech Walesa and Hungary’s Prime Minister József Antall signed the Visegrad Declaration in Visegrád.
After the split of Czechoslovakia and the creation of independent Slovak and Czech Republics in 1993, the trilateral Visegrad cooperation was transformed to a V4 format. The endeavours of the V4 received further boost in 1998. At the May 1999 summit held in Bratislava, the Prime Ministers of the V4 countries agreed on the deepening of cooperation in all areas of mutual interest and for mutual support in integration into the European and Euro-Atlantic structures. The key objectives pursued by the V4 countries in the first decade were accomplished with their successful socio-economic transformation, the deepening of regional cooperation and with their EU and NATO integration. In May 2004, the Prime Ministers of the V4 countries adopted the Kroměříž Declaration in which they emphasised the importance of the continued Visegrad cooperation in the new context following EU and NATO accessions.
For 20 years, regional cooperation of the V4 has successfully developed in the intersectoral/interministerial field, coordination of foreign policy positions and pursuance of common interests within the EU and vis-à-vis third countries/regions. The activities of the V4 are based on presidency programmes adopted by the Prime Ministers at Visegrad Group summits. The current presidency is held by Slovakia (1 July 2010 – 30 June 2011).
                                                    Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic