On the 12th and 13th of September 2008, top officials from the V4 countries will meet in Piešťany.

The Slovak, Czech, Hungarian and Polish Presidents will talk in particular about the current status and practical future prospects of efficient cooperation between the V4 countries.

Within this topic, Ivan Gašparovič, Václav Klaus, László Sólyom and Lech Kaczynski will discuss the European Neighbourhood Policy, the enlargement of the EU, as well as possibilities for the cooperation of the V4 in joint development projects.

The second area to be discussed includes security and social issues and the certainties of citizens in a Europe that is integrating. This rather extensive range of topics contains the Schengen issue and the free movement of persons and labour, issues of illegal migration and cross-border crime. The V4 Presidents will also discuss the security architecture of Europe, along with its energy and food security.

The third set of topics contains foreign policy issues, particularly the issues related to the current development of the conflict between Georgia and Russia in terms of the V4 countries’ standpoint. The Presidents will also talk about the support of the priorities of the Czech EU presidency in the first half of 2009, as well as the issues concerning the International Visegrad Fund.

A benefit concert “Peter Dvorský a priatelia” (Peter Dvorský and friends), dedicated to the centenary of Eugen Suchoň, is a part of the programme of the V4 Summit. The artists will perform in the garden of the Presidential Palace on Friday 12th of September 2008.

After the second plenary meeting of the Summit, which will take place on Saturday 13th of September, the V4 Presidents will ceremonially start the “Fountain of Presidents” in front of the Irma health spa in Piešťany. This symbolic act will be followed by a press conference with the Summit participants on the terrace of the Thermia Palace hotel. The guests will return to their own countries on Saturday afternoon.