Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky met with Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto in Rome to discuss security policy issues.Continue reading
“Georgia is a strategic partner of Hungary’s, and we will continue to work on deepening our relationship, both at the bilateral and alliance levels,” the Minister of Defense said after his meeting with the Minister of Defense of Georgia in Tbilisi.
Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky emphasized that Georgia’s “deep-rooted and rich history and values” are needed in “turbulent times” of the 21st century. The minister remarked that
there were many similarities in the history, culture, and geography of the two countries, and that both Hungary and Georgia have managed to preserve their unique languages and cultures amid the turbulence of history and politics.
Their shared Christian traditions, which go back thousands of years, are also a fundamental and a very important link, a kind of “common language” between the two countries.
The minister was quoted as saying that bilateral relations in the military-defense field are excellent and that they have discussed further strengthening of these relations with Defense Minister Yulian Burchuladze. Hungary participates in the training of Georgian officers preparing for UN missions, for example by providing training for helicopter pilots, said Szalay-Bobrovniczky. He also emphasized that he and his Georgian counterpart had also discussed the possibility of defense industrial cooperation.
The defense ministry chief recalled that Hungary is committed to supporting Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration efforts.
“We are convinced that the country is ready to become a candidate country,” and take its rightful place in the international alliance system, the minister added. He also said that Hungary is playing a role in NATO-Georgia cooperation to strengthen the capabilities and effectiveness of the Georgian armed forces, and is also present in the European Union’s monitoring mission in Georgia.
According to the Ministry of Defense, Mr. Szalay-Bobrovniczky inaugurated the memorial to the Hungarian soldiers who died in Georgia during the Second World War. At the commemoration ceremony, he thanked the Georgian government for supporting the memorial, stressing that joint work and joint thinking not only for the future, but also for the past, play an important role in the relations between the two countries.
Featured photo via Facebook/Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky