European states need to work together to defend EU: EPP leader

WARSAW, March 7 (Xinhua) -- Western and eastern EUropean countries need to work together "to defend the EUropean Union (EU) from all those who want to create splits within the EU", the leader of EUropean People's Party (EPP) group Manfred Weber said on Thursday.

Weber was in Warsaw for a two-day meeting of the EPP Group Bureau starting from Thursday.

"States in western EUrope will make clear commitments that central and eastern EUropean countries are not alone in our challenges of today, that we together want to defend our EUropean Union against those who want to create splits in the EU," Manfred told a press conference.

Weber said the Warsaw EPP meeting will focus on two main themes: equalizing living standards across the EU via support for a strong EU Common Agricultural Policy and Regional Funds for regions in the east of the union, and defense.

The EPP would also make a decision on whether Hungary's governing party Fidesz will continue to be a member on March 20, Weber said. Until that date, EPP and Fidesz were "in dialogue".

Weber said the decision of the Hungarian government to remove anti-EU billboards was "a good sign" and one of the demands the EPP had made to Fidesz.