PRAGUE, March 13 (Xinhua) -- The foreign ministers of the Visegrad (V4) group -- namely the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary, and Germany on Friday held a video conference to discuss pressing issues concerning European Union (EU), the Czech Foreign Ministry said in a press release.
The foreign ministers were originally meant to meet in Prague for the conference but it was changed to a video conference due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ministers discussed the priorities of the German EU presidency, EU relations with the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe, the EU's role in global affairs, the COVID-19 outbreak, migration and asylum policies, and the situation in Syria. Together, the foreign ministers signed a joint declaration urging for a united and effective Europe on the global stage.
"Close cooperation between the V4 and Germany is crucial for events in Central Europe, but also for the future of Europe," said Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek.
On the topic of the COVID-19 pandemic, the foreign ministers agreed that the solution to the problem could not only be at national level, but that it was a common European and global problem where common resources would have to be involved, according to the release.
