Minister of Defence Csaba Hende travelled to Warsaw on March 17 and delivered a speech at the 4th Euro-Atlantic Security Forum.

At the security forum held in the Polish capital the results of the NATO Lisbon Summit were evaluated in view of the fundamental tasks of the Alliance.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, President of Poland Bronisław Komorowski, as well as defence ministers and state secretaries from ten European countries (Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania) attended the event. In his speech Csaba Hende outlined that the Alliance’s fundamental purpose is to provide collective defence for its member states. Minister of Defence emphasized that the new challenges threatening cyber security and energy security need to be solved in international cooperation. These areas are key priorities in the new strategic concept of the Alliance accepted in Lisbon. Hungary intends to participate in every NATO effort to ward off the above mentioned threats.

Csaba Hende added that Hungary’s primary interest is the Euro-Atlantic integration of the countries of the Western Balkan region. This integration process should be supported by the whole Transatlantic Community. Minister of Defence added that the termination of Euro-Atlantic perspective can pave the way for re-escalation of old conflicts.

(kormany.hu)