Parliamentary foreign affairs committee leaders of the four Visegrad countries held a two-day meeting with their French partners in Budapest and discussed security policy challenges in the east and the...
The V4 will cooperate more tightly to adapt to the dangers posed by hybrid and non-traditional warfare, as well as in cyber protection.
László Kövér said the superiority of intelligence services and the resulting ability for fast action is crucial for democratic states.
The foreign minister said it is in Hungary’s national interest for the EU-Turkey customs union to be updated.
“We central Europeans believe that NATO will continue as the strongest and most successful military alliance of the world,” the foreign minister said.
There are laws and regulations in place including the comprehensive Zrínyi 2026 scheme that aim to develop the Hungarian army into the strongest and most effective armed force in the region.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had spoken about boosting Europe’s defense capabilities as early as 2016, “and this idea is gaining traction”.
György Bakondi said Turkey has recently been making attempts to create a safe zone in Syria in order to allow refugees to return to their homeland, but many have instead set out for Europe.
After meeting his EU counterparts on Tuesday, Defense Minister Tibor Benkő said supporting greater defense capabilities will not undermine NATO but rather strengthen the alliance.
The foreign minister said the root causes of migration had intensified recently. Instability in countries outside Europe has a negative impact on European security.
The Foreign Minister said border protection should be approached from the point of view of security rather than human rights. Strong and strict border protection leaves less manoeuvring space to criminals, including human smugglers.
“The peace surrounding us is very fragile,” Minister Benkő said, which means Hungary must be “ready and capable” of defending its borders, its citizens and safeguarding peace.
The Foreign Minister said nuclear safety is particularly important in Central Europe, whose countries rely heavily on nuclear energy.