Greeting Address at the Boeing Factory
Szöveg: honvedelem.hu | 2009. március 14. 8:13On the last day of his official visit in the USA, Hungarian Defence Minister Imre Szekeres visited the Boeing Factory in Long Beach, California. His greeting address can be read here.
Dear Mr. Undersecretary General, Dear Guests:
Today’s is indeed a special event since we are celebrating the assembly of the first aircraft serving the joint purposes of individual states in the Alliance and the European Union as a part of the NATO Strategic Airlift Capability.
The prestige of today’s event is even enhanced by the fact that NATO will soon celebrate the 60th anniversary of its foundation while Hungary will commemorate the 10th anniversary of her NATO membership. Thus, we can properly accompany these important milestones with a program, which can be regarded as special even in the history of the Alliance.
The importance of our joint initiative is even highlighted by the fact that a priority is assigned to remediating the effects of the worldwide economic crisis and the required measures. As a result, we have to manage both human and material resources in a more frugal, rational manner, while demands regarding the priority of our mission, namely preservation and enhancement of security are increasingly intensive. The solution is to spread initiatives like ours because joint efforts will yield us better and more efficient results.
For Hungary, the stationing of NATO’s strategic airlift fleet in Pápa represents a prestigious recognition and an immense challenge, as well.
By this decision, Hungary received her first opportunity to host a central site of a significant NATO initiative and at the same time, to create jobs during an economic crisis. By this step, the Hungarian Defense Forces can prove their worthiness of our societies’ trust since apart from preservation and enhancement of security and military defense, one of our principal objectives is serious, predictable and stable job creation.
Dear Guests:
NATO has arrived at today’s event at an extraordinary pace, after two and a half years of intensive effort. However, as of now, we can sense even physically the ongoing cooperation between several nations, and a significant improvement and reinforcement of the Alliance’s capabilities.
Participants in the program have granted their support to a technical facility which has proven its high technical and technological standard on several continents of the world, under operational circumstances which can justifiably elevate the Boeing C-17 to the rank of a unique strategic airlift facility of our days. The versatility and wide-range applicability of this type are also outstanding.
Well, because this is the first time in the history of Hungarian military aviation that a Hungarian military ensign is painted on an aircraft manufactured in America, using these very 55 pounds of paint.
I wish to express my gratitude to all of those who have contributed their dedicated work to our festive reception of the aircraft assembled here (seen behind us) on July 27, 2009 in Pápa, Hungary, at the Main Operating Base of the SAC program. This is a very important and highly welcome fact for us.
Due to your dedicated work, by the end of 2009, a fleet consisting of three Globemaster III aircraft will be available to serve the strategic airlift needs of participant nations of the SAC Program.
I truly hope that a successful program implementation will arouse the interest among other nations as a result of which they will also join the program. Further needs arising this way may justify the purchase of other aircrafts, as well.
What’s more, I am truly confident that the SAC program will enter NATO’s history as a success program for the next decade.
At last, I wish you a great deal of success, strength and health for your further work!
