(MENAFN- Jordan Times) From July 1, Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the Visegrad Group (V4), comprising four Central European countries: Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
My country will coordinate for a year our common policies and actions in Europe and beyond.
The group's first summit in Budapest was attended by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, on July 4. The group expressed its common support for the internal stability of Egypt and the indispensable role Cairo plays in fighting terrorism, illegal migration and promoting peace in North Africa and the Middle East.
Budapest will also host later this month, in the V4+ format, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to discuss bilateral cooperation, but also to express the group's support for the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
That is an ambitious start in the Middle East for a Central European regional group that is mostly known for its common position on European matters.
The mission of the Hungarian V4 presidency can be summed up in a single sentence: we want to strengthen the European Union, both internally and externally.
Instead of 'more Europe', we should focus on creating a better and stronger Europe, a more efficient Europe.
The Visegrad countries serve as a reminder of how we overcame the Cold War, with Germany reunited and our nations becoming members first of NATO and then of the EU.
These days, after his passing away, we pay a special tribute to the late German chancellor Helmut Kohl for realising this daring vision.
Ever since, integration remained the only proven stabilising tool in the European continent; therefore, we strongly support the enlargement of the EU with candidate countries that meet the accession requirements.
During the Brexit talks, we have to make sure that we continue to have as close ties with Britain after its exit from the EU as possible, since our common challenges and interests will unlikely change.
The V4 is the most dynamic group of current economic growth in the EU. This is recognised beyond Europe, for example by China, which will hold its annual summit with 16 Central and East European prime ministers in Budapest later this year.
Jordan occupies a special place in our V4 view of the Middle East.
The Hashemite Kingdom is a staunch ally in fighting international terrorism and in providing safety and a decent life for many refugees who fled different regional conflicts and are now hosted by it.
There is great appreciation for that in our capitals.
Beyond our bilateral efforts, the Visegrad countries also came together in the Zaatari camp to support the Peace Oasis of the World Lutheran Federation in its youth-oriented operations.
We will all continue to help, among others, in healthcare, training and education.
Hungary alone offers Jordan 400 scholarships a year for study programmes in higher education.
The mediaeval kings Charles I of Hungary, Casimir III of Poland and John of Bohemia first met as a group in 1335 in the Hungarian royal castle of Visegrad, some 30 kilometres north of Budapest, to discuss a common stand on easier market access to Europe.
That sounds nowadays familiar to Jordan.
After the Cold War and Communist rule, our newly elected democratic leaders relaunched the Visegrad format in 1991; over the past 26 years, it matured and became an internationally recognised brand.
During the Hungarian presidency, we will increasingly reach out to our friends and partners in the Middle East, including Jordan, to offer our cooperation in tackling together common challenges.
The writer is Hungary's ambassador to Jordan. He contributed this article to The Jordan Times.
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