Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Tuesday that four eastern European countries had not agreed to propose outgoing European Commission deputy head Maros Sefcovic as their candidate to lead the next bloc’s executive.

Babis denied a Czech newspaper report of a deal to nominate Sefcovic. He said in Prague, however, that the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland – known as the Visegrad Four – would like to secure one of the top EU positions up for grabs later this year, according to Reuters.

“We as the region, V4, certainly believe that the territorial principle should be maintained,” he told reporters before leaving for a meeting of European leaders in Brussels.

Hospodarske Noviny daily, citing Czech and EU sources, also reported earlier on Tuesday that the four countries could push for Sefcovic to take the EU’s foreign policy post if he cannot secure the top spot.