Minister of Foreign Affairs János Martonyi’s opening speech of the Robert Capa exhibition at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on 18 February 2014.

Dear Anders, Dear Ambassadors, Distinguished Guests,

It is a great honour for me to open the Robert Capa photo exhibition together with Secretary General Rasmussen, here, at NATO Headquarters, on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of Hungary’s accession to the Alliance.
Robert Capa, – I almost said “Capa” (with the Hungarian pronunciation) or “Cápa” which is a Hungarian word and means shark, by the way, but of course he is much better known as Capa –  the legendary Hungarian-born war reporter had a short but intense life in the most turbulent years of the 20th century. Many of his photos have become iconic, without which the 20th century would be hard to tell. For indeed, the last century was the first in history, that can be narrated in images at least as much as in words. Capa immortalized not only the celebrities among his contemporaries but also, in a deeply democratic spirit, the common men and women, making them protagonists of the epoch.

As you take a closer look at the photos you will not only understand the reason why this collection is so precious for Hungary but also, more importantly, why NATO and our membership in the Alliance are so much valued by the Hungarian people today. Throughout centuries, Hungarians were longing and fighting for freedom and liberty and today we are firmly anchored in the family of democratic nations. For this reason, it had been my firm conviction since Hungary started preparations for NATO-membership that the opening of NATO’s doors to former Eastern Bloc countries – including our own accession in ’99 together with the Czech Republic and Poland – would be among the most prominent and celebrated events in Europe’s history.

NATO is arguably the most successful alliance in modern history. In my view it is one of NATO’s biggest achievements that after the Cold War it has successfully repositioned itself to tackle – both politically and militarily – these challenges.

In 1999 Hungary joined a political-military alliance that had a clear political identity based on the democratic values shared by all Allies. In the 21st century, NATO is best featured by these common values that give us, the Alliance an extremely solid footing to operate on. Today, Hungary along with all the other Allies of the onetime Eastern Bloc is a free country with a democratic political system, a free market economy and a sovereign foreign policy. Extending the zone of stability and liberty – this is another landmark achievement of NATO.

This is true even if the record is not complete yet. Although we have come a long way, there is still some “unfinished business” in reaching our ultimate goal, a 'Europe whole and free'. We cannot relent as long as there is one single aspirant country 'willing and able to assume the responsibilities and obligations of membership' still outside NATO's door.

For Hungary, the benefits of being a NATO member are clear. First and foremost, it is the cornerstone of our security and defence. Article V of the Washington Treaty provides the security guarantee that continues to be the quintessential part of NATO's mission. Article V does not come free or cheap though: we have to bring our capabilities in line with those of our allies. In terms of foreign and security policy, being a member extends our horizon and our responsibilities, as well. Our joint mission in Afghanistan shows that security does not stop at our borders. The idea we cherish is that together we are more capable.  It is to be underlined that the glue that keeps us together are our common values.

Bien que de nos jours, nos concitoyens peuvent se sentir en sécurité plus que jamais, appartenir à l’OTAN n’est pas seulement une question de bénéfices. C’est aussi une responsabilité qui nous incombe, de faire le nécessaire pour que nos sociétés puissent continuer à vivre en paix. D’un certain point de vue, c’est le revers du succès de l’OTAN, que de nos jours on fait moins attention à la politique de sécurité. Cela ne bénéficie en aucun cas le secteur de la défense. C’est notre responsabilité, la responsabilité des hommes et des femmes politiques, d’expliquer, que par l’adhésion á l’OTAN, l’histoire ne s’est pas arrêtée. Il y a toujours un bon nombre de défis qui se profilent à l’extérieur de nos frontières. La sécurité est un bien commun à tous. Pourtant elle n’est pas gratuite. Il reste à nous d’attirer l’attention sur le fait, que la sécurité est une valeur dans laquelle nous devons investir.

Bien qu’aujourd’hui, Capa aurait besoin de traverser les frontières de l’Alliance pour assister á et immortaliser des scènes de guerre, il trouverait facilement des zones de conflits, tout près de nos territoires, voire même dans notre proche voisinage. Il suffirait de lui montrer la sanglante guerre civile en Syrie. Les crises en cours de nos jours montrent bien, que l’Alliance a besoin de continuer son travail dans lequel il s’est engagé il y a 65 ans. Je suis convaincu, qu’en choisissant judicieusement les sujets prioritaires pour l’agenda, le sommet du pays de Galles nous permettra de renforcer l’Allaince davantage et mieux promouvoir la stabilité par le biais de l’engagement et de la coopération avec nos partenaires. Ainsi, le sommet nous rapprochera encore plus au rêve de Capa aussi.)

But the significance of the NATO anniversary fully emerges only in the context of four other anniversaries. In 2014, we remember the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of WWI and the 70th anniversary of the Shoah, too. Europe, the birthplace of universal ideals, had exported two world wars and two totalitarian ideologies to the rest of the globe. But history brings about pleasant surprises, too. 25 years ago Communism collapsed, the reunification of Europe began, and the Cold War came to an end. Vigilia est pretium libertatis; the freedom that Robert Capa loved and fought for, with a passion worthy of the great and terrible 20th century. Passion and curiosity for history in the making: these are the lessons we, 21st century politicians and NATO diplomats should learn from this Hungarian born photographer.

I thank you very much for your attention.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)