Benkő: Hungary treats the issue of Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic accession as a priority
It is a priority for Hungary to support Georgia’s aspirations to join the European Union and NATO, Minister of Defense Tibor Benkő emphasized in Budapest on Thursday after discussing with Georgia’s Minister of Defense.
Budapest, November 18, 2021 Tibor Benkő will receive Minister of Defense Georgian Minister of Defense at the Heroes’ Square on November 18, 2021, in honor of the military defense. (Photo: MTI / Attila Kovács)
Tibor Benkő emphasized at the press conference that there is no special thanks for the support of the Hungarian government, as the Georgian and Hungarian governments represent similar European values. they also have common intentions and goals to stabilize the highly fragile international situation, he said.
He called the discussion with his colleague in Georgia useful and effective. Highlights were:
the security and stability of the Caucasus region and the Western Balkans, and the regional role of Hungary.
They reviewed the challenges of today and the future, such as the pandemic situation, which require a joint effort, he added. They also confirmed their previous agreement, according to which the two countries will help each other in the training and preparation of soldiers.
According to Georgian Minister Zsuanser Burcsuladze, the vaccination of soldiers is almost 90 percent, Tibor Benkő explained, adding: this proportion is similar in Hungary, so the protection of Hungarian soldiers can be called high.
Tibor Benkő would like to thank the two countries for their cooperation so far, through which, among others, young Hungarians are studying in Georgia. Furthermore, joint consultations of experts from the two important countries.
Zsuanser Burcsuladze thanked the Hungarian government for supporting the country’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
He also believes that such high-level meetings have an important role to play in this, as this is a public message for both NATO and them. In addition to this support, there are also Hungarian soldiers in Georgia to help them with this work.
He said the two countries are successfully cooperating in several areas, including the economic, cultural and defense spheres. On Thursday, a cooperation agreement will also be signed with the NATO Military Medical Center of Excellence (NATO KEKK) in Budapest, the Minister of Defense of Georgia said.
In the morning, the two ministers also attended the opening of a professional conference on the importance of resilience and its strengthening at the Stefania Palace in Budapest.
In his speech, Tibor Benkő drew attention to the fact that Hungary is at the intersection of the southern and eastern threats, as indicated by NATO, so there are challenges from both directions. He recalled that the new National Security Strategy also sets the goal of making Hungary among the five most secure countries in Europe and the ten most secure in the world by 2030. To this end, the minister says it is essential to strengthen resilience. To this end, as he said, Hungary has already made a significant special contribution, which is also supported by the national defense and force development program. Tibor Benkő emphasized that
Based on its recent experience, the Hungarian Armed Forces must also be prepared for new challenges, such as mass illegal migration and the coronavirus epidemic, and related tasks.
Zsuanser Burcsuladze said strengthening resilience is a key part of their defense strategy. This is important because this capability is also expected of NATO, and Georgia wants to be a strong member of the alliance, he said.