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Katalin Novák traveled to Brussels on Wednesday for a three-day visit, where she held talks with the NATO Secretary General and the Prime Minister of Belgium. Following talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the two held a joint press conference.
Hungary contributes to the success of NATO missions, and will soon fulfill its commitment to spend two percent of it GDP on defense, moreover, the presence of Hungarian troops contributes to peace and stability in the Western Balkans region, the president said.
Katalin Novák stressed that Hungary supports Ukraine’s right to self-defense and will continue its humanitarian assistance to the country. She noted that Hungary condemns and considers Russia’s aggression against independent Ukraine unacceptable. The president also emphasized that there is no relationship between Hungary and Russia that could undermine relations with our allies and the fulfillment of our commitments, both within NATO and the European Union.
Regarding the situation of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia (Ukraine), she underlined that the situation of national minorities in Ukraine is of particular importance for Hungary, especially the Hungarian minority.
Respect for minority rights is of the utmost importance, especially when a country has ambitions to join our alliances,”
she said. For Hungary, this is a priority issue that needs to be resolved in order to maintain its supportive stance in Ukraine’s challenging struggle, she added.
On the Middle East conflict, she stressed that Hungary has the deepest sympathy with Israel and condemns the brutal attack on it, which she said, draws attention to the importance of stability in the region.
In response to a journalist’s question on Sweden’s accession to NATO, she claimed that the country’s membership would contribute to the strengthening of NATO and thus to common security.
In this context, Jens Stoltenberg expressed the importance of Sweden becoming a member of NATO as soon as possible in order to guarantee security, and said that the northern European country had already fulfilled all its commitments to this end.
Novák posted about her meeting with the Belgian Prime Minister on her social media site. She wrote that the two countries are preparing for the upcoming EU Presidency, and she is glad that the Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, considers demographic issues to be important. Demographic issues “will be a priority on the agenda of Hungary’s EU Presidency.”
Great meeting with @alexanderdecroo during my visit to Belgium. Both Belgium and Hungary are getting prepared for their upcoming EU Presidency . I am pleased that the Prime Minister of Belgium considers the demographic issues important, which will be a priority on the… pic.twitter.com/Yzj9iYYRQN
— Katalin Novák (@KatalinNovak_HU) November 8, 2023
Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Bruzák Noémi