The disease control coordination centre of the Visegrád Countries (V4: Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia) – regarding which the V4 prime ministers agreed at a summit held in Lublin on 11 September – has started its operation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade informed the Hungarian news agency MTI on Monday.

According to the communication, representatives of the V4 agreed that during the second wave of the coronavirus epidemic it is key that their countries inform one another of their disease control measures, and exchange experiences and information in the interest of the more effective management of the epidemic.

This type of communication among the V4 will make cooperation in the region more effective within the European Union, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international institutions, they added.

The disease control coordination centre will operate through video conferences to be held with weekly regularity with the attendance of the four countries’ disease control experts. Health care and foreign affairs representatives of the V4 will also involve other experts taking part in the management of the epidemic in the coordination centre’s work.

The main emphasis is on a regular exchange of information related to the management of health care systems; however, with the involvement of experts of the respective fields, the parties will also discuss the status of passenger and cargo traffic, border crossing points and air travel, the communication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade reads.