Dear Visitor,

I warmly welcome you to the website of the Permanent Delegation of Hungary to NATO.

The Permanent Delegation, located at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, is tasked to represent Hungarian foreign, defence and security policy interests and goals within NATO, as well as to reinforce Allied solidarity in all NATO-related matters. Our Delegation, composed of staff from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Ministry of Defence, the Hungarian Defence Forces, and the National Directorate General for Disaster Management of the Ministry of Interior, works for these goals on a daily basis.

The aim of our website is to provide information about NATO and Hungary’s NATO policy to the interested audience. (The Delegation is not involved in consular affairs – if you would like to have more information on those matters, please visit the website of the bilateral embassy.)

Based on the provisions of the North-Atlantic Treaty signed on 4 April 1949, members of the Alliance take responsibility for each other’s security by guaranteeing the collective defence of all Allies. While Hungary also enjoys the guarantees of collective defence, we actively contribute to it by taking part in NATO’s operations and developing our defence capabilities as well as by implementing tasks related to collective defence and gradually increasing our defence spending. Over the last six decades, NATO has undergone a significant transformation. Although the core functions and role of the Alliance – most importantly collective defence – remain unchanged, NATO’s tasks, its position in the global security policy arena, and its membership have expanded significantly. Following the signature of the Accession Protocol in May 2016, the Alliance can soon welcome Montenegro as a member nation which will further contribute to promoting stability in the Western Balkans, a region of special significance for Hungary.

Today’s global security challenges can be handled less and less under the purview of national competence only. International terrorism, illegal and mass migration, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, the instability posed by weak or failed states and the increasing threat caused by cybercrime are all risk factors that have fundamentally modified our understanding of security and national defence. In close cooperation with other relevant international actors, the Alliance continuously seeks the appropriate responses and means to address these challenges, risks, and threats, which were unknown at the time of NATO’s foundation. These responses are primarily put forward in the 2010 Strategic Concept, which lays down NATO’s purpose and its tasks. The National Security Strategy and the National Military Strategy of Hungary also reflect these elements.

NATO cannot ignore the crisis stemming from illegal and mass migration, given that this is affecting the security of the Alliance. Since spring 2016, NATO has been providing assistance to the Greek and Turkish authorities’ as well as to the EU (FRONTEX) activities. Hungary has always been supportive of NATO’s involvement in handling the security challenge posed by the migration crisis and has been continuously raising awareness of its link with terrorism. Addressing the root causes of migration is also crucial. The stabilisation process in Afghanistan and defence capacity building to which Hungary contributes in many ways are part of this effort (e.g. training).

In the framework of its crisis management policy, NATO contributes to international peace and security. Through our significant contribution to NATO’s most important operations in the Western Balkans and Afghanistan, Hungary takes her share of the joint efforts. This not only strengthens the international role of and respect for the Hungarian Armed Forces, but also helps enhancing the preparedness of our forces through the experience gained in missions abroad. As Ambassador, it is my goal to maintain our significant contribution to different crisis management operations.

Through its partnership structures and activities, the Alliance maintains formal or informal dialogue with nearly one hundred nations, with the aim of establishing mutually beneficial practical cooperation and promoting democratic values. It is especially important that NATO has developed an increasingly close relationship with the UN, the EU, the OSCE and other relevant international organisations. Based on shared interests and common values, the strategic cooperation with the EU is of primary significance, even if it falls somewhat short of its full potential.

Hungary attaches great importance to the stability of the Western Balkans region, to which the maintenance of a credible Euro-Atlantic integration perspective contributes greatly. Through its Open Door Policy, NATO has declared that countries of the region and those who are aspiring for membership may receive an invitation to the Alliance by fulfilling the required conditions. Although, the accession of Montenegro is a crucial milestone in this regard, Hungary will continue to pay particular attention to facilitating this process in the future as well.

The credible collective defence and Allied solidarity require effective military capabilities which is not possible without the investment in defence by its members. Hungary has made a commitment to gradually increase its defence expenditures from 2016, thereby providing the necessary resources for the development of the Hungarian Defence Forces. Multinational initiatives embraced by NATO also aim at the provision of necessary capabilities, allowing for the sharing of resources and their more effective utilization. An excellent example is the Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) programme, operated at Pápa Airbase in Hungary, the host base of three NATO C-17 transport aircrafts. In the framework of the SAC programme, currently ten member states and two partner countries provide capability of high importance to NATO, while also acting as a clear manifestation of the Transatlantic Bond in Hungary.

Together with my civilian and military colleagues working at the Permanent Delegation, I will aim at supporting NATO, in accordance with our interests and values, in continuing to fulfil its role, as well as at ensuring that Hungary can benefit to the maximum extent possible from the opportunities and advantages provided by our membership in the Alliance.

István BALOGH

ambassador, permanent representative