After a meeting of the V4 countries’ defense ministers in Prague, Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said Hungary is committed to the cooperation of the Visegrad Group and supports the EU integration of the Western Balkan countries.
At a joint press conference with Jana Černochová, his Czech counterpart, Minister Szalay-Bobrovniczky said their meeting went to show that despite a difference of opinion at times “we are in agreement on the important matters”. At the meeting, Hungary took over the presidency of the Central European Defense Cooperation (CEDC) from Czechia. In connection with the Hungarian presidency starting in January, Szalay-Bobrovniczky said it would be built on the Czech presidency’s results and would continue the initiatives that the presidency launched. “Central Europe’s security is linked to the stability of the Western Balkans, the Hungarian CEDC will therefore put great emphasis on broadening high-level dialogue and practical cooperation between the two country groups as well as on promoting the EU integration of the Western Balkan countries,” said Szalay-Bobrovniczky. Concerning the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the defense minister reiterated that Hungary supported a ceasefire, talks and peace. He said that the conflict had “no military solution” and suggested that the EU should revisit its Ukraine strategy.