Deputy Defence Minister Delivered Lecture in Georgia

Tamás Vargha delivered his lecture in the first panel of the conference entitled “NATO after the Warsaw Summit". In the deputy minister’s assessment, strengthening NATO’s collective defence is the proper answer to the instability generated by the 2008 Russo-Georgian War and the crisis in Ukraine in 2014 as well as the wave of migration from the south that can increasingly be felt in the Black Sea region and the challenges of terrorism as well. He pointed out that in this new situation, European countries must do more for their security, therefore the government of Hungary recently launched a large-scale armed forces development program.

During the conference, the Hungarian delegation headed by the deputy minister of defence attended a bilateral meeting to consult with Lela Chikovani, First Deputy Defence Minister of Georgia. At the discussion, Tamás Vargha called Georgia a key actor in the South Caucasus region and an important partner of NATO, pointing out that the country has a special place in Hungary’s “eastern opening" policy too. At the same time, he expressed appreciation for Georgia’s outstanding contribution to the international fight against terrorism.

Tamás Vargha reasserted that Hungary consistently supports Georgia’s territorial integrity inside its internationally recognized borders, and actively seeks ways to help its Euro-Atlantic integration process. The deputy minister of defence also said that Hungary continues to support the modernization of the Georgian armed forces in the future by providing expert assistance and running courses. This year Hungary and Georgia celebrates the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

The conference opening was attended by President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili and Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili. The speakers included Georgian Defence Minister Levan Izoria, Turkish Defence Minister Nurettin Canikli and Latvian Defence Minister Raimonds Bergmanis, as well as deputy ministers of defence from the Czech Republic, Georgia, Lithuania and Slovakia, and the Romanian deputy foreign minister.

The Georgia Defence & Security Conference has been held annually since 2005, so this year’s one has been the 11th iteration. By now the event has started a tradition, having become a significant forum for the exchange of views on security policy by high-ranking guests from the member countries of NATO and the European Union, and the leaders of Georgia with aspirations for membership in Western organizations of integration.