At the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington D.C., which ended on Friday with the participant states formulating commitments and adopting a closing document, Hungary undertook to help develop cybernetic defence, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó told Hungarian news agency MTI.

On the second day of the Washington summit, the world’s heads of state and government debated issues relating to nuclear security, including the most urgent issue: the threat of terrorism, in sections. Péter Szijjártó assumed leadership of the Hungarian delegation from Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Summarising the work performed at the summit and Hungary’s participation, Mr. Szijjártó told MTI that at the section sessions they had discussed issues relating to the terrorist threat and the fight against terrorism, including ways to prevent terrorists gaining access to nuclear weapons or fissile materials with which they could construct so-called “dirty bombs”.

According to the Foreign Minister, the world is currently facing the most brutal terrorist threat ever in view of the fact that the Islamic State, Al-Qaeda and Boko Haram, which is primarily active in Africa, have established a global terrorist network. This is why increased attentiveness, monitoring and immediate action are now of fundamental importance, the Minister added, according to whom we must be more vigilant than ever before.

At the same time, Hungary has already done much; it has already performed many tasks, if you like, he explained. It has, for instance, eliminated its accumulated stocks of highly enriched uranium, increased security for fissile materials and set up radiation monitoring equipment at 36 border crossing points in recent years, as well as supplying the Hungarian Post Office with radiation monitoring instruments, he said, listing Hungary’s recent efforts. The latter measures aim to reduce black market trade in fissile materials, he noted.

In addition to the achievements performed so far, Mr, Szijjártó also stated that Hungary had already established the so-called National Centre for Nuclear Safety at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences’ Centre for Energy Research several years ago, which plays a coordinating role, monitors and handles all data relating to supplies of nuclear materials and, naturally, is also involved in the international exchange of relevant data. “Hungary is advanced from a nuclear perspective and its security system is excellent”, Mr. Szijjártó said summarising how Hungary is viewed and assessed by the international community.

The Hungarian Foreign Minister also reported on the fact that a contact group had been established which will monitor and coordinate the commitments undertaken at the Washington summit in view of the fact that there will be no future summits: this was the fourth and final Nuclear Defence Summit.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade)