Slovak envoy: Visegrad Group seeks technological cooperation with Azerbaijan

The Visegrad Group (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary) seeks to cooperate with Azerbaijan in the field of technology.

Slovak Ambassador to Azerbaijan Milan Lajcak made the remarks in an interview with Trend.

According to him, the cooperation of the group's countries with the start-ups of Azerbaijan, which until recently seemed difficult to be implemented, is at the initial stage of implementation.

"However, the countries of the Visegrad Group would like to continue cooperation with Azerbaijan in other areas, too," the ambassador said.

He added that in late June when the Slovak Presidency of the Visegrad Group comes to an end, a seminar focusing on important aspects - challenges in the energy sector, financial issues, and the current global crisis, will be organized in Baku.

The second part of the seminar will be dedicated to the challenges associated with technological changes in the world.

Today, an event dedicated to the implementation of the V4-Azerbaijan Tech Bridge (V4ATB) startup program has been held in Baku.

The goal of the project is to establish and enhance cooperation between the Visegrad Group and Azerbaijan in the sphere of innovation by linking startup ecosystem players like innovation hubs, private investors, venture capital funds, and innovation-seeking corporations from the EU with the potential of Azerbaijani startups and innovators.

The Visegrad Group (also known as the Visegrad Four, the V4, or the European Quartet) is a cultural and political alliance of four Central European countries: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. The alliance aims to advance cooperation in military, economic, cultural and energy affairs, and to further their integration with the EU. All four states are also members of the European Union (EU), the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), and the Bucharest Nine (B9).

The alliance traces its origins to the summit meetings of leaders of Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland, held in the Hungarian castle town of Visegrád on 15 February 1991. Visegrad was chosen as the location for the summits as an intentional allusion to the medieval Congress of Visegrád between John I of Bohemia, Charles I of Hungary, and Casimir III of Poland in 1335.

After the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, the Czech Republic and Slovakia became independent members of the alliance, incrementing the number of members from three to four. All four members of the Visegrad Group joined the European Union on 1 May 2004.