The XVII International NATO Conference was held in Budapest on 211 November 2013. Deputy Secretary-General of NATO Alexander Vershbow gave a courtesy visit to Hungarian Minister of Defence Csaba Hende before speaking at the conference and the parties discussed the preparation for next year’s NATO Summit, which will be held in Newport, South Wales. The issues of Smart Defence, the future of the alliance’s mission in Afghanistan and the involvement of the Hungarian army in other NATO-led missions were also discussed. The Minister emphasised the importance of NATO's open doors policy and the future enlargement of the alliance.

Mr Hende informed the Deputy Secretary-General on the defence policy priorities of the V4 Hungarian presidency, highlighting the increasing significance of regional defence cooperation. „NATO continues to be the protector of peace and the most successful and capable military alliance of all time” –Speaker of the Hungarian Assembly Mr. Laszlo Kövér said today at the opening of the XVII International NATO Conference in the Parliament building in Budapest. In his speech, he underlined the importance of keeping NATO a firm trans-Atlantic cooperation built on mutual trust.

Despite the shrinking funds of the alliance, its members need to be prepared for upcoming challenges. He also mentioned the fact that helping the Euro-Atlantic integration of the Western-Balkans is one of Hungary’s top priorities. As such, the issue of NATO enlargement should be discussed at the next summit. Minister of Foreign Affairs János Martonyi said that a stronger cooperation is essential before the start of the next summit. Europe and America need each other more than ever – Europe needs a strong America and America needs a strong Europe, and both need a strong NATO.

As the United States' attention has been drawn to the Pacific, Europe needs to do more to enhance its defence capabilities. Enlargement should be a possibility for every willing state; the doors of NATO should be left open. He emphasised the importance of regional cooperation between the alliance's members, especially the cooperation between the V4 countries, which has proven to be effective. Mr. Hende also gave a speech focusing on the NATO’s next summit, underlining the urgent need for strengthened cohesion and solidarity within the transatlantic family.

He said that the necessity of NATO was never in doubt, but 2014 would be a challenge for the alliance. “NATO, the institution that is responsible for the security achieved through successful transatlantic cooperation, should not be forgotten.” The cooperation between NATO members needs to be enhanced and new countries should also be involved.

The alliance must also be prepared for new challenges such as cyber-warfare. The next summit should focus on, amongst others, the future of the alliance after the Afghanistan mission. NATO cannot "look inwards" and should also pay attention to conflicts that are "just beyond" the alliance’s doorstep, such as Kosovo and Libya, the Minister of Defence said.

(MTI)