Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó has told Hungarian television channel TV2 that forty soldiers – twenty Hungarians and twenty from other NATO Member States – will be based at NATO’s new headquarters in Székesfehérvár in Hungary.

He said that last weekend’s NATO summit decided to station a unit of 4,000 in the territories of the Baltic States and Poland. He pointed out that, as infrastructure and reinforcement will not be relocated, the NATO-Russia Founding Act on Mutual Relations will in no way be breached as a result.

NATO Member States also held talks on leadership points in forward positions in eight eastern Member States. Six of these are already in operation, and two more may be established next year in Hungary and Slovakia.

This issue is expected to be on the agenda of the NATO-Russia ambassador-level summit on Wednesday. Mr. Szijjártó pointed out that principles of deterrence and dialogue must be applied at the same time. It is in the interests of both NATO and Hungary to establish a strategic dialogue with Russia resulting in cooperation based on mutual trust.

Referring to the British intention to leave the European Union, Mr. Szijjártó said that there are still a number of open questions, such as the future of economic and trade cooperation, and the rights of EU citizens working there. He underlined that it is in Hungary’s interest to maintain the possibility of free trade and investment, and to prevent violation of the rights of Hungarians working there.

Mr. Szijjártó also told Hungarian television channel M1 that uncertainty can be expected as a result of the British withdrawal, that British economic growth may slow in the new situation and fewer foreign workers may be needed.

In Kossuth Rádió’s “180 Minutes” programme, he pointed out that the Government of Hungary will take a firm stand for close economic and investment-related cooperation between Hungary and the UK, and for the rights of tens of thousands of Hungarians working in that country. He added that for workers this is not just a Hungarian issue, since some one million Polish people are working in the UK. This is why it is important for the Visegrád Four to establish even closer cooperation with each other. These matters will also be on the agenda of the V4 prime ministers’ summit on 21 July.

Mr. Szijjártó called the resignation of British prime minister David Cameron a personal loss, since his views on the future of the European Union coincided with those of the Government of Hungary. With Mr. Cameron the British were the leaders of the “sovereigntist” camp, which believes that as many areas as possible should remain within national competencies. He added that although it would have been better for Hungary if the UK remained in the EU, the British citizens have decided on withdrawal, and this must be respected. Mr. Szijjártó added that the British opposed Brussels’ migration policy, and it would be best if the EU institutions also acknowledged this fact.

He reiterated that, bearing in mind the principle of strength in numbers, he considers deceleration of NATO enlargement to be a strategic mistake. Moreover, Mr. Szijjártó pointed out, Macedonia and Georgia have both made considerable efforts to acquire membership, and if these have proved to be in vain there is a chance that political opposition to Euro-Atlantic cooperation will strengthen.

(MTI/kormany.hu)