On June, 1 at the Emigration Museum in Gdynia there was held a meeting attended by the ministers of culture of the Visegrad Group (V4) countries. The representatives of the Governments of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary talked about building a consistent image and the cultural identity of the member states.

During the talks and deliberations in Gdynia, Poland was represented by Prof. Piotr Gliński, Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Culture and National Heritage as well as Jarosław Sellin, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. The Czech Republic representation included the Minister of Culture Daniel Herman and the Secretary of State Patrik Košicky. Slovakia was represented by the Deputy Minister of Culture Ivan Sečík, and Hungary by Péter Hoppál, the Secretary of State in charge of Culture in the Ministry of Human Resources.

–It is a great honour for Gdynia to host the representatives of the Governments of the Visegrad Group countries. V4 is a symbol of a successful initiative for the implementation of the common interests and an important element of building cooperation in Central Europe. For our city it is a great distinction – the meeting for the first time takes place in a city other than Warsaw and Krakow – stressed the Mayor of Gdynia, Wojciech Szczurek.

The Visegrad Group is an informal regional form of cooperation of four countries of Central Europe – Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. What connects them is not only neighbourhood and similar geopolitical considerations, but above all, common history, tradition, culture and values. The idea behind the creation of the Group was the intensification of cooperation in the construction of democratic state structures and a free market economy, and in the long term, participation in the process of European integration.

Since July,1 2016 to June, 30 2017 Poland has held the Presidency of the Group. Thereafter, the role will be assumed by Hungary.