Peace is the most Important Topic These Days
Text: defence.hu / MTI | Photo: Szebáld Szakál’s archive picture | 14:22 April 25, 2024Besides peace, Hungary’s interest is to accelerate the accession of the Western Balkans’ countries to the EU, which is why this will be the central topic at the congress of the Central European Defence Cooperation (CEDC) in Budapest on Thursday, 25 April – said Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky in the TV program called “Ma reggel” (Today Morning) of channel M1.
Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said that the members of the CEDC – established in 2010 on the initiative of Austria – besides Hungary, are Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Croatia. However, the defence directors of the Western Balkans’ countries have also been invited to the event in Hungary because the Balkans plays an important role in the security issues of the region. The minister stated that peace is the most important topic these days, which they try to emphasize in each forum because the Western European decisions have their effects here.
The minister underlined that the countries of the Western Balkans have been war hot spots full with economic and religious tension for centuries, while the interest of Central Europe and Hungary is calmness. That is why it is important to accelerate the EU integration of the states concerned, while large-scale politics support the accession of other countries, which is not realistic according to him. Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky recalled that numerous countries of the Western Balkans have been waiting for the accession for years, although their membership would bring stability to Europe, open markets and thus boost the economy of the whole EU. He mentioned Croatia as an example, the accession of which was a huge success, therefore, “this is the way” also for Serbia and other countries – he said.
The minister also mentioned illegal migration, a main route of which is also the Western Balkans. He considered that curbing migration would be more effective with the EU integration of the countries concerned. In the news broadcast called “Jó reggelt, Magyarország!” (Good Morning Hungary) on Kossuth Radio, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky talked about the Budapest Security Dialogue conference, too, which will be also held this week with nearly 600 participants, including the defence ministers of the CEDC. He said that the topic of peace and war will be at the centre of the discussions, but the importance of the defence industry will also come to the forefront, which offers a great opportunity for Hungary from an economic point of view.
