NATO Transformation Seminar held in Budapest

Budapest, March 22 (MTI) – NATO is Hungary’s security guarantee, István Simicskó, the defence minister, said at the NATO Transformation Seminar in Budapest on Wednesday. Member states must find relevant answers to its challenges together, he added.

Speaking at the opening of the two-day conference, Simicsko said that a strong and effective NATO is the cornerstone of security in Europe. It is therefore a primary interest of Hungary. Security crises can snowball, so its stability is essential, he added.

Europe’s security environment has deteriorated severely in the past few years due to an increased number of destabilised countries in the region, mass migration, terrorist attacks in Europe, the general increase in terrorist activity worldwide and the crisis in Ukraine, he said.

The EU faces difficulties on its southern and eastern borders simultaneously, Simicskó said, adding that “every problem is an opportunity for joint action”, and this can strengthen cooperation and solidarity between the alliance’s member states.

Hungary supports a call by US President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defence James Mattis to expand the alliance’s role in fighting terrorism, Simicskó said. Also, it agrees that Europe should do more towards securing its defence.