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The presidents of Poland and the Czech Republic have called for closer cooperation among central European nations to defend their decision-making powers against pressure from European Union leaders.

Czech President Milos Zeman began his visit to Poland Thursday with a meeting with his Polish host Andrzej Duda.

The neighboring states have been critical of some EU policies — particularly a 2016 plan to redistribute thousands of migrants among member states by quota.

Zeman said Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary — members of the Visegrad Group — are under pressure to accept the views of the EU governing body, and should strengthen their unity to defend their own interests.