The Hungarian government has thrown its suppot behind preperations for a European army, it has been announced.
According to Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hungary supports the affirmation of a European defense cooperation.
“The Hungarian government supports the preparations for the plan on the establishment of a joint European army and the goal of making Europe capable of operating and performing peace-making and peacekeeping missions in neighboring regions," Minister Szijjártó explained, following a meeting of EU foreign affairs and defense ministers in Brussels.
According to the Hungarian foreign minister, the recent, uncontrolled wave of mass migration has also led to a never before seen increase in the threat of terrorism, which requires the EU to place the security of the continent and its citizens at the focal point of its politics.
“The European Union must provide a rational response to the security policy situation that has developed by reinforcing NATO’s European “legs”, because conflicts that develop in the neighbourhood of Europe have a very serious and immediate effect on the security of Europe," Minister Szijjártó said.
The Minister stressed that in the interests of avoiding possible parallels, the expansion of the European Union’s defense capabilities must occur in harmony with its NATO commitments.
According to the minister, if the EU does not accelerate its enlargement processes with the countries of the Western Balkan region, and if it does not refrain from interfering in Macedonia’s internal affairs or Serbia’s minority policies in an “uncontrolled manner”, it could have unforeseeable results, the minister said.