I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Hungarian Atlantic Council for this prestigious recognition. I am grateful for your work in supporting NATO and fostering transatlantic relations. It is a great honour to receive an award named after such an outstanding figure – a visionary leader, an influential politician, and a devoted transatlanticist.
Antall József is known around the world for launching Hungary’s path toward Atlantic integration. In July 1993, while serving as Prime Minister, he declared that Hungary’s most important goal was to join the European Union and NATO within the next decade. This was a bold statement, one that inspired a young democracy emerging from four decades of communist rule and foreign domination.
Sadly, he did not live to see his vision come true. But in 1999, Hungary joined the NATO family, and a few years later, it acceded to the European Union. Since then, Hungary has become a valued NATO Ally. Today, it leads one of our multinational battlegroups, helping to deter aggression, and it hosts key military commands, including the headquarters of a multinational division.
Hungary also supports our efforts to maintain stability in the Western Balkans, including through last year’s peacekeeping operations in Kosovo. Just as Hungary joined NATO 25 years ago, Finland recently became our 31st Ally – and Sweden will soon become the 32nd. Our Alliance is growing stronger and larger. This is vital for our collective security in these dangerous times.
Russia’s war against Ukraine continues. Conflict rages in the Middle East. Tensions persist in the Western Balkans. Brutal terrorism remains a global threat. Climate change is fuelling instability. And our democratic values are under pressure as authoritarian regimes trample global rules.
The only and best way to address these challenges, preserve peace, and protect our people and our values is for Europe and North America to stand united in a strong NATO.
Antall József believed in this. He often described NATO as the cornerstone of European stability. That remains true today, just as it was in the early 1990s and throughout the Alliance’s 75-year history. Ahead of our summit in Washington this July, I count on Hungary – and all NATO Allies – to continue strengthening the transatlantic bond and our Alliance.
Thank you very much.
Brussels, 12 January 2024
