From 2025, Slovakia will contribute €250,000 more to the International Visegrad Fund. The government on Tuesday approved the increased contribution of €2,750,000.
The increase in the total budget of the Fund from €10 million to €11 million was initiated by the Czech Presidency of the Visegrad Group.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry explained that the increase in the overall budget and the equal contributions of all the Visegrad Group (V4) countries is a response to the increase in the scope of the Fund's activities as well as to changed economic conditions. The increase in the budget is intended to avoid the risk of cutting new and existing programmes, while ensuring the institution's viability in the face of inflationary expenditure increases.
The Fund is used to provide grants, scholarships and residency programmes in the fields of culture, science, research, education, exchange of artists and young people, as well as projects to promote cross-border cooperation and tourism development.
Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) perceives the International Visegrad Fund as an example of successful cooperation between Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. "The V4 is a unique project, by virtue of which we're capable of taking action as a strong internationally-recognized partner in areas of common interest. This is evidenced also by the fact that activities of the International Visegrad Fund have received support from states outside of our group - Canada, Germany, South Korea, the Netherlands, Sweden and other countries," he said.
"Since its foundation, the Fund has supported more than 6,350 projects and 3,330 scholars with a total sum of €129 million - and not only in the V4 states. The grants have been provided also to projects in the region of the western Balkans and countries of Eastern Partnership," added the ministry's state secretary Marek Estok.
