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<TITLE>Hungarian Dep. State Secretary Dr. Istvan Gyarmati...Central Europe
and NATO Enlargement</TITLE>
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<CENTER><FONT SIZE="+4">Central Europe and NATO Enlargement</FONT></CENTER>
<CENTER><FONT SIZE="+3">Dr. Istvan Gyarmati</FONT></CENTER>
<CENTER><I><FONT SIZE="+2">Dep. State Secretary, Hungarian Ministry of
Defense</FONT></I></CENTER>
<P>I was very happy to attend the Thirteenth NATO Workshop. I have attended
all but one of these Workshops since 1988, when I was virtually the only
person from a non NATO country and everyone looked at me as a special
species. Now it is quite normal for non NATO representatives to attend,
and I hope that others from the Central European region will also help to
organize future Workshops. </P>
<CENTER><B><FONT SIZE="+1">CENTRAL EUROPEAN STABILITY</FONT></B></CENTER>
<P>Though we have been talking throughout this Workshop about the situation
in our region as a subcontext of our talk about NATO, I would like to
present my speech the other way around speak about Central Europe and
within that context speak a bit about NATO enlargement. I do this because
we in Hungary very frequently have the feeling that Central Europe is not
getting the attention it deserves. One reason for that the Russia first
policy is understandable, because Russia is a country of strategic
importance. But the other two reasons that Central Europe is on the right
track, going toward democracy and a market economy so not very much
attention needs to be paid to it; and that Central Europe is still full of
dangers, so it should not be brought into NATO I believe are wrong. </P>
<P>Fortunately, both of these reasons belong mostly to the past. I am sure
that Central Europe will join NATO in the future, but we wish to restate
the unquestionable fact that Central Europe is a stable region despite the
political disputes you may read about in the newspapers. There is no
danger of any kind of heated debate among these countries outside or
inside NATO, and they are continuing their progress toward full fledged
democracy and functioning market economies. Of course, there are some
problems internal mainly, but also external that all of us in the central
region have to face and manage. However, all of the countries that have
enjoyed prosperity and democracy for the 50 years following World War II
should be able to understand our problems, because they have similar ones.
</P>
<P>One of Hungary's economic problems, for instance, is its budget deficit
something not unknown to Western European and North American countries. We
are also involved in the restructuring of our welfare state, which is also
not unknown to you, and we face the problem of foreign debts. But while
our problems are similar to other countries', we have to face them while
in the process of transition, which makes our lives much more difficult.
Despite all our internal problems, however, I think that Hungary and the
other Central European countries are on the right track, and this is
evidenced by the fact that NATO is preparing to enlarge and to invite some
of these countries to become members. </P>
<P>Hungary is very much in favor of the progressive enlargement of NATO,
but we think that maintaining a strong Alliance is at least as important
as inviting new members. New members must contribute to security and
stability in Europe, so only those countries that can do so on the basis
of a stable democratic system and a functioning economy should be invited.
But countries should also be invited as soon as they reach the level of
maturity that is required for NATO membership. </P>
<CENTER><B><FONT SIZE="+1">COOPERATION AND CONTRIBUTIONS</FONT></B></CENTER>
<P>While the central region shares the past and its problems, we also want
to share the future. We believe that economic association among countries
will bring political results and cooperation over time, as it has done in
the European Union. Participation by countries in our region in such
organizations as the Central European Initiative which is often unduly
neglected will bring important returns for many of us. So, too, will the
emerging network of bilateral treaties and agreements among these
countries, including military cooperation and joint exercises. We have
full confidence in the intentions of our neighbor countries. So we believe
that regional tensions are not a reason for preventing us from joining
NATO, nor are expectations that Central European countries will bring
additional tension to the Alliance. On the contrary, we will continue to
bring into the Alliance new ideas. </P>
<P>The reasons why we want to join NATO are already well known; they are
now part of our integration philosophy. But we also want to contribute to
NATO's new mission of projecting stability to other regions, which will be
extremely difficult without enlargement or the cooperation of the Central
European countries. The IFOR mission has shown how vital to success such
cooperation is. Therefore, we welcome the Berlin discussions and the
Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) concept, not only because they will make
NATO militarily capable but because, frankly, we believe that the CJTF
concept will also help us to integrate with NATO. </P>
<CENTER><B><FONT SIZE="+1">THE CONSEQUENCES OF NON-ENLARGEMENT</FONT></B></CENTER>
<P>It is often asked what the costs of enlargement would be. There are
several different views, most of which I think are exaggerated. But the
real question for us is not "What are the costs of enlargement?",
but "What are the costs if NATO does not enlarge?" The answer to
that is that many regions will destabilize. NATO's ability to respond to
new challenges will also be brought into question. And, finally, if NATO
does not enlarge, its credibility and that of other international
organizations will be undermined. So I think that enlargement is needed
not only for the countries that want to join but also so that current NATO
countries will see an increase in their security and stability through an
increase in security and stability in Europe as a whole. </P>
<P>NATO enlargement will also help us answer a question we all face: how to
reorganize and restructure our national defenses. Hungary, of course, was
forced into a so-called military alliance; we were part of the Warsaw
Treaty. We had no national defense forces, but had to defend this
coalition. Then the coalition was dissolved five years ago, and we began
to struggle with the question of how to organize our defenses. Speaking
for Hungary, I believe that we have not yet resolved this question
satisfactorily. But we have to resolve it. The question remains, however,
will we do it on a national basis or within a real alliance I hope that
within one year Hungary and the other former Warsaw Pact nations will know
on what basis our national defenses will be organized. </P>
<CENTER><B><FONT SIZE="+1">ENLARGEMENT AS A POSITIVE PROCESS</FONT></B></CENTER>
<P>I want to underline how important it is to see NATO enlargement as a
process. Not all countries that wish to join NATO will be invited to join
in the first group, so understanding that the process will be ongoing will
make it possible for those countries to build a credible national defense,
projecting ahead to the time when they will be members of the Alliance. I
believe it is necessary to send the message to those countries that as
soon as they reach the required levels they will also be invited to join.
</P>
<P>Countries that will be invited to join in a second or later group should
also be offered some additional measures. Partnership for Peace programs
would be absolutely necessary, as well as integration with the concerted
efforts to build an all-European security architecture. All of us must
take part in the work to increase security and stability for all of
Europe. This is the only context in which NATO enlargement makes sense,
and in which it will not draw new dividing lines between members and
non-members. It is also the only way that border lines will become lines
of cooperation rather than lines of confrontation. </P>
<P><A HREF="Gyarmati.htm">Go to top of page</A> <BR><A HREF="Workshop96.htm">Return to Warsaw '96</A> <BR><A HREF="../index.html">Return to Home Page</A> </P>
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