Hungary’s interest lies in peace and in accelerating the accession of Western Balkan countries to the European Union, the Defense Minister said on Thursday, adding that this will be a central topic of the meeting of the Central European Defense Cooperation (CEDC) which will be held today in Budapest.
Created in 2010 at the initiative of Austria, the CEDC includes Hungary, Slovakia, Czechia, Slovenia and Croatia, but defense officials from the Western Balkan countries were also invited to the Budapest meeting given the importance of these countries to the region’s security, Kristof said. Szalay-Bobrovniczky told M1 news channel.
The Western Balkan countries have been the epicenter of wars for centuries, but the interests of Central Europe and Hungary are calm, Szalay-Bobrovniczky said, stressing the importance of accelerating the European integration of developing countries. question.
He said several Western Balkan countries have been waiting for years to join the EU, even though joining would bring stability to Europe, open new markets and ensure economic growth for the entire bloc.
Speaking to public broadcaster Kossuth Radio, Szalay-Bobrovniczky discussed the Budapest Security Dialogue conference which is expected to bring together nearly 600 participants this week, including CEDC leaders. The conference will focus on issues of war and peace and the defense industry, he said.
