| The Spanish and Canadian members of a 12-strong Group of Experts engaged in preparing the NATO’s new strategic concept paid a visit to Budapest on March 4, 2010. Fernando Perpiñá-Robert Peyra and Marie Gervais-Vidricaire, the Ambassadors of Spain and Canada respectively, met Péter Balázs and engaged in consultations with State Secretary Gábor Iklódy. In the course of the afternoon, Mr Perpiñá-Robert Peyra and Ms Gervais-Vidricaire took part in a professional panel discussion with representatives of the so-called “Hungarian wise men”, set up at the initiative of the Foreign Minister, as well as Hungarian experts on security policy. At the meeting in the Foreign Ministry, the Spanish and Canadian Ambassadors were briefed on Hungarian priorities in connection with the new strategic concept. In our view – Mr Balázs and Mr Iklódy pointed out – the collective defence guarantee set down in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty is of primary importance, and the strong commitment to transatlantic ties should also appear in the new concept. It should also reflect the appropriate balance between the traditional territorial defence and responses to new challenges. Further Hungarian interests are – besides the growing global aspects – to ensure that the Alliance places emphasis on the security of neighbouring areas, especially the south-eastern European region in which NATO has a role of outstanding importance. FM Balázs and State Secretary Iklódy reiterated that the Alliance’s relations with third states and other international organisations should be strengthened, with due regard to NATO-EU relations. At the NATO Summit in Strasbourg/Kehl on 4 April 2009, Heads of State and Government tasked Secretary General Rasmussen to develop a new NATO Strategic Concept. The concept as a new would-be political founding document of the North Atlantic Alliance is to frame NATO’s future for the next decade and determine what kind of role it should undertake in a fast-changing world. This exercise should be completed by the time of NATO’s next Summit which is expected to take place in Lisbon in late 2010. To facilitate the process, the Secretary General has appointed a Group of 12 Experts chaired by Dr. Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State. Its task is to assemble a broad range of subjects for the strategic concept. In April 2010 the Group of Experts should present their analysis and recommendations to the Secretary General. In this spirit Mr Balázs also initiated the establishment of a Hungarian professional group to outline our standpoint in respect of the new strategic concept and extend assistance of Hungarian professionals in an informal manner. At the beginning of March, members of the Group of Experts embarked on consultations on the main issues connected with the strategic concept in the capital cities. The visit of Ambassadors Perpiñá-Robert Peyra and Gervais-Vidricaire to Budapest was part of this series of consultations. (March 4, 2010) |