Speaking at a press briefing held in Budapest on Thursday, 5 May together with Georgian Defence Minister Tinatin Khidasheli, Minister of Defence Dr. István Simicskó emphasized that in the fields of economy, politics and the military, Georgia has made praiseworthy efforts to join the Euro-Atlantic community.

István Simicskó pointed out that Hungary has been consistently supporting Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration efforts since the beginnings. He stated that it also supports the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

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The Hungarian Minister of Defence noted that over the recent period, several representatives of allied and partner countries visited Hungary. Among these, the partnership with Georgia has strategic importance as well. He told the press that he had held a fruitful discussion with the Georgian Minister of Defence about the strengthening and expansion of military cooperation between the two countries.

István Simicskó offered the sharing of lessons learned from the Hungarian Defence Forces’ outstanding capabilities like the HDF 2nd Special Forces Regiment and the field of military medicine.  He added that soldiers of the Georgian Armed Forces can attend military training courses in Hungary, too.

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Tinatin Khidasheli said that she had been a student in Budapest, and that’s why she has now returned to Hungary with pleasure. For a long time, Hungary has been an important partner and ally of her country, and stood by Georgia even in the hardest times, during its “escape” from the Soviet bloc. She added that last year, when Georgia was struck by flood, Hungary was the first country that volunteered to help. 

Tinatin Khidasheli went on to emphasize that the partnership between the two countries gives Georgia a sense of security. She thanked the Hungarian soldiers currently deployed with the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) for safeguarding security and serving peace with the same commitment as the troops of the Georgian Armed Forces are doing so around the world, from Afghanistan to Ukraine to Mali.

The Minister of Defence of Georgia also underlined that the Visegrád Four (V4) countries (i.e. Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary) are providing the greatest support for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration efforts. She emphasized that all such allies must be held in high esteem.

(Ministry of Defence)