On 13 July, defence ministers of the Visegrád Group (V4) countries met in Warsaw to coordinate the direction of V4 cooperation on defence policy and on the transfer of the Group’s rotating presidency.

Organized by Poland, which transferred the rotating presidency of the Visegrád Group on 1 July, the meeting pf defence ministers aimed at reviewing the related results of the Polish presidency and the transference of the presidential baton within the field of defence. The Hungarian delegation was headed by Deputy Minister Tamás Vargha, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence.

Tamás Vargha thanked the Polish presidency for its work, adding that Hungary is extremely appreciative of the work of the Polish presidency, because it done a great deal to advance the reputation of the Visegrád Group and has realised a further increase in political transparency. “The strength of the Visegrád Cooperation lies in its unity. Today, Central Europe’s image is that of a region in which there is vitality, in which there are common gaols, and which is made up of capable countries”, the Deputy Minister said.

“Poland led the Visegrád Group in a period during which we had to face numerous changes and uncertainties. The start of the presidency was influenced by Brexit, which contributed to a more lively debate on the future of the European Union. The search for a solution to the migration crisis continued to be delayed, and there unsettling tendencies appeared with relation to the stability of our southern and eastern neighbours. The Polish presidency performed successfully in this difficult environment, as the Visegrád Group stood up both visibly and in a united manner on many occasions at NATO and EU forums for, among others, increasing defence spending, strengthening NATO’s role in the fight against terrorism and protecting the external borders of the EU against illegal and uncontrolled migration”, Mr. Vargha said.

The Deputy Minister informed his counterparts about the defence policy priorities of the Hungarian presidency that commenced on 1 July. Our most important goals include coordinating our positions and effectively channelling our interests with relation to a number of strategic issues on the agenda of NATO and the EU, such as the strengthening of NATO’s eastern flank and the Alliance giving more effective responses to challenges from the south, as well as enhancing the EU’s military crisis management capabilities and the continuation of operational cooperation, with particularly emphasis on preparations for the reestablishment of the V4 EU battle group in the second half of 2019.

(Ministry of Defence/MTI)