The International Visegrad Fund was represented at the V4 Presidential Summit in Trenčín, Slovakia, on 5 November 2026, by its Executive Director, Linda Kapustová Helbichová. Hosted under the Slovak Presidency of the Visegrad Group and by Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, the meeting provided an opportunity to present the Fund’s achievements over 26 years and highlight its contribution to regional cooperation.
During her presentation, Linda Kapustová Helbichová outlined how the Visegrad Fund, supported by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, translates the priorities of Visegrad Cooperation into practical support for people, organisations and institutions across the region and beyond.
With an annual budget of EUR 11 million, the Fund invests in lasting relationships, regional networks, institutional knowledge and trust. Its support is delivered through grants, scholarships, artistic residencies, youth mobility initiatives and specialised programmes. Education and capacity building, together with innovation, research and development, and entrepreneurship, account for approximately 40% of its grant activities.
Strengthening cooperation beyond the V4 region
A significant part of the presentation focused on the Fund’s long-standing engagement with the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership countries, where it supports civil society organisations, regional partnerships and institutional capacity building.
Continued commitment to Ukraine
Ukraine remains the largest non-V4 beneficiary of the Fund’s support. Since 2004, more than 140 grants and over 1,000 scholarships have been awarded to Ukrainian beneficiaries, amounting to nearly EUR 10 million as of the third quarter of 2026.
Building on 26 years of regional cooperation
As the only permanent institution of Visegrad Cooperation, the International Visegrad Fund continues to build on its 26 years of experience in connecting people, organisations and institutions across borders.
