11 Delhi Business Review X Vol. 11, No. 2 (July - December 2010) CROSS CROSS CROSS CROSS CROSS - BORDER COOPERA BORDER COOPERA BORDER COOPERA BORDER COOPERA BORDER COOPERATIO TIO TIO TIO TIONS TO ENHANCE NS TO ENHANCE NS TO ENHANCE NS TO ENHANCE NS TO ENHANCE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE VISEGRAD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE VISEGRAD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE VISEGRAD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE VISEGRAD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE VISEGRAD COUNTRIES COUNTRIES COUNTRIES COUNTRIES COUNTRIES J. K . K . K . K . Kaposzta* aposzta* aposzta* aposzta* aposzta* H. Na H. Na H. Na H. Na H. Nagy** gy** gy** gy** gy** K. Ritter*** K. Ritter*** K. Ritter*** K. Ritter*** K. Ritter*** N this study we have reviewed one of the most significant cooperations in Central-Eastern- Europe, namely the Visegrad cooperation. It has been a very important economic, social and political collaboration of the four countries (Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Hungary) for long. The basic principle in their cooperation has always been to strengthen the links among the abovementioned countries and, due to the EU Funds available, it has received greater importance in the beginning of the 21st century. The objective of this research is to find out how this cooperation has deepened in the past and what new possible ways are available to extend this relationship in order to mutually benefit the economies and societies of the member countries. The Szent Istvan University has also joined a Visegrad coop- eration in the field of education and research recently and aims at the development of those fields in accordance with the economic growth. Keywords: Visegrad Countries, Economic Growth, Cooperation, Transnational Developments. Introduction The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, also known as the Visegrad Group countries, have long shared common ground in history, culture, religion, and economics. Over the centuries this shared past has been marked by a striving for unity as well as frequent frictions, peaceful times and military conflicts. The name of the cooperation refers to the historical meeting of 1335 in the royal palace of Visegrad, where Hungarian, Czech and Polish kings took strategic decisions for political and commercial pur- poses in order to strengthen the role of the region. On 15 February 1991, the renewed Visegrad Coop- eration was set up with the aim of supporting the three post-socialist Central-Eastern-European coun- tries (Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Poland) Euro-Atlantic integration. (The V4 configuration was formed in 1993 following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia and the establishment of the independent Czech and Slovak Republics)  Visegrad Declaration. The Visegrad Group represents a consistent geographical region on the eastern border of the European Union. This makes the region strategically important and also creates opportunities for the groups member states to utilise their partnership at the regional level as well as within the European Union, though they often regard each other as competitors rather than friends, even after 20 years of systemic changes (Gyrgy, 2009). I * Associate Professor, Institute of Regional Economics and Rural Development,Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Szent Istvan University, Godollo, Hungary. ** Assistant Professors, Institute of Regional Economics and Rural Development, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Szent Istvan University, Godollo, Hungary. *** Assistant Professors, Institute of Regional Economics and Rural Development, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Szent Istvan University, Godollo, Hungary.