Formation of partnerships: historical dynamics of cooperation between Ukraine and the Visegrad Four

Abstract

The article examines the experience of the Visegrad Group countries, which were able to quickly adapt to new challenges and conditions at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as effectively implement the course for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, having gained membership in the European Union and NATO. The relevance of the study is due to the need to analyze the successful transformations of the socio-political and economic systems of these countries during the period of the formation of democracy, with the aim of borrowing the most successful aspects of this experience by Ukraine.

The stages of scientific understanding of the selected topic in the works of Ukrainian and foreign researchers are analyzed, with an emphasis on modern scientific literature. The development of the political component in Ukraine's relations with the Visegrad Group countries in the B4+1 format is considered based on the analysis of annual programs, chairmanship reports and official statements. The main directions and permissible scales of cooperation in the military and security sectors at different historical stages are identified. The factors that hinder the deepening of interaction are outlined, and the content of qualitative changes in energy and trade and economic relations in the context of regional transformations is also determined.

It was found that for Ukraine, deepening cooperation with the Visegrad Group countries remains a strategic priority as an important tool for advancing towards a united Europe. At the same time, the Visegrad countries themselves are interested in strengthening security and stability on the eastern borders of the EU, as well as in spreading democratic values, which led to their active participation in the Eastern Partnership initiative and support for the signing of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union. Ukraine's western neighbors are open to sharing their own experience of European integration, political transformation and economic reforms. Given that Ukraine is only at the initial stage of these changes, it needs external support at various levels – from intergovernmental to public.