Dear Member, Dear Friend,
The Hungarian Atlantic Council cordially invites you to our large-scale international conference, organized to mark the 75th anniversary of NATO and the 25th anniversary of Hungary’s accession to the Alliance, entitled:
“European Security: The Future of Atlanticism and European Strategic Autonomy”
📍 Venue: Kodály Room, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Széchenyi István tér 9, Budapest)
📅 Date: May 7, 2024
🕘 Start: 09:00 AM
📝 Agenda attached below
Please confirm your participation by registering via the following link:
👉 https://forms.gle/tGHLHzRr1USKYHgYA
About the Conference:
Organized by the Hungarian Atlantic Council (MAT), the event will explore the future of the transatlantic alliance and the potential for European defense autonomy in light of key strategic and political challenges.
We will address two main questions:
- The cohesion of the Euro-Atlantic community: Are we in crisis? What are the implications of diverging values, interests, and institutions across the Atlantic?
- The United States’ role in European security: Can Europe rely on transatlantic defense indefinitely? What if the U.S. becomes more militarily engaged in Asia? Could Europe effectively deter a military threat, such as from Russia, on its own?
We will assess the stability of transatlantic relations, underlying values and interests, political readiness, and military capabilities.
🗓 CONFERENCE AGENDA:
09:00–09:30 | Opening Remarks
- Prof. Dr. E. Szilveszter Vizi, Honorary President, MAT
- Video message by Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General
09:30–10:30 | Keynote Addresses
- Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, Hungarian Minister of Defence, representing PM Viktor Orbán
- Werner Fasslabend, Former Austrian Minister of Defence, Vice President of ATA
Panel I: Transatlantic Relations: Values, Interests, Politics, Institutions
Chair: Dr. Réka Szemerkényi, International Republican Institute
10:35–11:35 | Speakers
- Péter Sztáray, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- Dr. Karl A. Lamers, Former President of the NATO PA
- Gábor Fodor, Former Minister
- Wendin D. Smith, Director, NATO
- György Csóti, President, MAT
11:35–11:50 | Q&A
12:00–12:15 | Coffee Break
Panel II: Military Capabilities – European Defense in a “Europeanized” NATO
Chair: Dr. Tibor Benkő, Former Minister of Defence, former CHOD, Vice President of MAT
12:35–13:35 | Speakers
- Ferenc Kajári, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff
- Lt. Col. Viktor Csabiánszki
- Marcin Zaborowski, ECFR
- István Gyarmati, Secretary-General, MAT
13:35–13:50 | Q&A
14:00–15:00 | Lunch Break
Panel III: Hungary and NATO – The Long Journey from 1999 to 2024
Chair: Dr. István Szent-Iványi, Vice President, MAT
15:15–17:15 | Speakers
- Gábor Böröndi, Chief of Defence
- Péter Tálas, Senior Fellow, University of Public Service
- Amb. István Balogh, Permanent Representative of Hungary to NATO
- Zsolt Németh, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Hungarian National Assembly
17:15–17:25 | Closing Remarks
- György Csóti, President, MAT
Language: English and Hungarian with simultaneous interpretation
Press: The event is open to the media
We look forward to welcoming you!
