The Visegrad Four (V4) countries of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary, support the ambition of Ukraine and Georgia to become members of NATO, V4 foreign ministers agreed at a meeting in Prague on Wednesday.
The meeting were also attended by foreign ministers of Ukraine and Sweden, which will preside over the EU in the second half of 2009.
The integration of Ukraine in NATO's Membership Action Plan will enhance political and security cooperation between Kiev and NATO, the ministers said in a joint statement after the meeting.
The V4 and Sweden supported Ukraine's integration in European structures, ministers said.
The V4 countries, Sweden and Ukraine believed that the current pace of the Ukraine-EU talks will be preserved so that Kiev acquired an agreement of privileged partnership with the EU as quickly as possible, according to the ministers.
The agreement could be completed during the Czech EU presidency in the first half of next year, they said.
The ministers were for a free trade zone to be created between the Czech Republic and Ukraine.
The V4 group was formed in 1991 in Visegrad, Hungary by Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary, with the aim to strengthen cooperation among member countries. After the split of Czechoslovakia into two successor states it was renamed to V4.
The activities of the group include meetings of presidents, prime ministers, ministers, chiefs-of-staff and supreme courts' heads.
Source:Xinhua
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