Chair of the V4 Panel of Eminent Personalities and former Vice President of the European Parliament Libor Rouček and GMF Senior Non-Resident Fellow and a former Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of Slovakia Pavol Demes were among the panelists addressing the topic. The event moderated by the Director for the Center of Transatlantic Relations at SAIS Daniel Hamilton featured also Wojciech Gizicki, Associate Professor at the Institute of Political Science and International Affairs at John Paul II University of Lublin and Marton Schoberl, Director General of the Hungarian Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade.　

The discussion covered both historic aspects of V4´s conception and the development of the cooperation among the V4 countries over the decades as well as the current views the individual V4 members have of challenges facing Europe and the Central European region in particular. The panelists concurred that Russia´s actions represent a major challenge from the perspective of security, economy and values the country is trying to project beyond its borders. The issue of fundamental values and democracy in Central and Eastern Europe also represented an integral part of the wide ranging discussion.

V42016 vv.Gandalovic