The prime ministers of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia will not take part in an EU mini-summit on migration due to be held in Brussels on Sunday, Hungary's Viktor Orban has said.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Slovakian Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini, and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki hold a joint press conference following their meeting in Budapest on Thursday. Photo: EPA/SZILARD KOSZTICSAK

He was speaking after the four leaders on Thursday met in Budapest to discuss issues including migration together with the Austrian chancellor, Poland’s PAP news agency reported.

Poland’s Mateusz Morawiecki, Hungary’s Orban, the Czech Republic’s Andrej Babiš and Slovakia’s Peter Pellegrini put on a united front on migration during their meeting with Austria's Sebastian Kurz in the Hungarian capital on Thursday, according to reports.

Poland’s Morawiecki told reporters after the talks: “After a very careful analysis of the document which was sent by the European Commission in the context of Sunday’s ad hoc meeting, we came to the conclusion together that it’s something along the lines of recycled procedures, proposals from the past that are not understandable to us. They are for the most part not acceptable."

He added, as quoted by the Polish news agency: “... we do not belong to the club of friends of refugee relocation and do not intend to take part in this process."

The four prime ministers were also expected to talk about the next European Union budget and cooperation with Western Balkan countries at their get-together with the Austrian leader in the Hungarian capital.

Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia together form the four-nation Visegrad Group (V4), a platform for regional cooperation that has been in existence since 1991.

European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker has said he is convening an informal “mini-summit” on migration in Brussels on Sunday.

(gs/pk)

Source: PAP/IAR