Proposed Central European States Union to Pursue Joint Foreign, Migration Policy

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The recently proposed Central European states union within the European Union is expected to serve as informal institution that would take a joint stance on foreign and migration policies, including mending ties with Russia, an Austria foreign affairs committee member told Sputnik on Friday.

Earlier this week, Austrian presidential candidate Norbert Hofer proposed after the meeting with Czech President Milos Zeman to create a "union within a union," in particular, to give Central Europe a stronger voice within the European Union.

"It will be an informal group of small countries that have the same goals in terms of foreign and migration polices," Roman Haider, a member of the lower house of the Austrian parliament, the National Council, and its foreign affairs committee, said.

He believes that Austria in cooperation with the Visegrad Four (V4) group, established early in 1991 and comprising the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia, would contribute to normalization of ties between the European Union and Russia.

"If Austrian candidate Norbert Hofer to become president of Austria, he will try to calm down the situation and to renew dialogue between Russia and the EU working with the Visegrad group," Haider said.

Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka spoke on Tuesday against the isolation of the Visegrad Four states within the European Union stressing that attempts to turn Visegrad into a formal institution are directed against group’s interests.