Visegrad foreign ministers meet in Bratislava after 18-month hiatus

Foreign ministers from Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary met in Bratislava on Sept. 1, 2026, in the first meeting of the Visegrad Group’s foreign ministers since March 2024. The gathering marked the reestablishment of direct diplomatic dialogue among the four countries’ foreign ministries.

Poland’s delegation was led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi also took part in the talks under the V4+ format, which brings an outside partner into discussions involving the Visegrad countries.

The meeting was aimed at restoring direct dialogue among the foreign ministries of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. The research material does not identify specific agreements or other decisions reached in Bratislava.

A regional cooperation framework

The Visegrad Group was established in 1991 to promote cooperation in Central Europe and to coordinate European integration processes. Its members are Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.

The Bratislava talks therefore brought together the four foreign ministers within the framework of an organisation created more than three decades ago. They also included Japan’s foreign minister through the V4+ format, while the meeting’s stated focus was the restoration of direct contact among the V4 foreign ministries.

The gathering followed a gap of more than two years since the previous meeting of the group’s foreign ministers in March 2024. No further outcome was specified in the available research beyond the reestablishment of diplomatic dialogue among the V4 countries.