|  Kinga Göncz, in her introduction, noted that the structure of the three-day conference had changed in comparison to the past: workshops are in the forefront partly because the ministry increasingly wishes to make use of the experiences of heads of missions, and also because horizontal, non-regional subjects should receive greater emphasis. She reassured participants that the country’s domestic politics were in working order and the minority government - of which examples abound in other parts of the world - was stabilising. Hungarian foreign policy and diplomacy is carrying out its work effectively, said Ms Göncz.
Concerning Hungary’s image abroad, the minister said that ever since the riot at the television headquarters in September 2006, negative assessments of Hungary had emerged in the foreign press - e.g. internal divisions and slowing economic growth - while serious criticisms of the country also touched on the Hungarian Guards (Magyar Garda). Furthermore, a growing number of people were uncertain about the fate of reforms after the March 9th, 2008 referendum, she said. Conversely, visitors and correspondents based here have encouraging assessments of more and more phenomena. They note the advance of the reform process. Ms Göncz said that Hungary had overcome a series of difficulties, the type of which other states were only just beginning to address. She considered it a success that the world's leading car producer Daimler-Benz had chosen Hungary as the site of one of its new assembly plants, and that Hungary has a favourable economic environment and infrastructure; and similarly it was a great boon that Budapest is to headquarter the European Innovation and Technology Institute. Partners also welcomed the fact that the Hungarian government had undertaken a role at its own initiative in shaping a common energy policy by, among other things, appointing an ambassador at large in charge of the Nabucco pipeline project. Similarly, there was positive feedback about cultural presentations abroad, such as the Hungarian season in China. Tourism plays a positive role and results are forthcoming in the Roma Decade programme, said Ms Göncz. In foreign policy, credit has been given to the Hungarian-French strategic partnership and the simultaneous Hungarian-Bulgarian-Croatian recognition of Kosovo - particularly the perfect timing. In the period since joining the Schengen system, results have exceeded expectations. On issues of international policy, Ms Göncz eluded to the fact that the United States remains the world leader while China and India are doing more and more to earn their place among the most developed nations. Particularly significant global challenges are energy and food price rises, she said, adding that greater effort must be made to find the solutions as well as analysing the reasons. Ms Göncz strongly welcomed the emergence of Hungary’s external relations strategy. The preparatory work was undertaken in such a way that foreign policy became a matter of public debate with broad agreement. The result won recognition from abroad, even though a consensus failed to emerge between Hungary’s political forces on the assessment of Russia, in interpreting energy security and on efforts towards supporting Hungarians abroad. There was a consensus, however, on Euro-Atlantic integration and Hungary’s clear support for deeper integration. In connection with the Irish rejection of the Lisbon Treaty, the head of Hungarian diplomacy confirmed that Hungary accepts the Irish decision and holds the view that the people of Ireland should find the solution. The minister gladly noted that, in connection with the enlargement of the European Union, Hungary had initiated the agreement on limited cross-border traffic, which is an important means of maintaining cross-border connections with Hungarians living in such places as Voivodina in Serbia and Trans-Carpathia in the Ukraine. Hungary has begun preparations for the country’s 2011 European Union presidency according to schedule and the groundwork is running along the lines of five-party negotiations. As would-be presidency agenda in the forthcoming period the most important issues are financial perspectives, immigration policy and expansion, with particular regard to the accession of Croatia. Ms Göncz also touched on issues related to EU Neighbourhood policy, and said that Hungary will consistently follow a policy which promotes deepening the co-operation with countries east of the European Union’s external borders. The Visegrad Four, in spite of certain bilateral problems, is functioning well, Ms Göncz mentioned. A new and welcome development is the institution of joint cabinet meetings with Austria, Slovenia, Romania and Croatia. Hungary pursues a committed foreign policy as regards the Western Balkans. The minister said that securing the future of Kosovo was key to ensuring stability in the whole region. Besides this, Hungary firmly supports Serbia’s Euro-Atlantic integration. On this point, she noted in connection with the change of the Belgrade government that it was fortunate that the least negative scenario appears to be emerging. She added that the calm situation in Macedonia was also a particularly important element in view of the region’s stability, and the country should continue to advance along the road of EU and NATO accession. The minister briefly evaluated relations with Ukraine, Slovenia and Austria. On the latter, she said that relations were close as well as being indispensable. She welcomed the fact that local problems were being solved by Hungary’s ambassador in Vienna meeting with representatives of the sides affected. In respect of Slovakia, she said that the main source of antagonism was Jan Slota’s National Party, which forms part of the Bratislava government. Ms Göncz evaluated Hungary’s policy pursued with Russia as pragmatic and she mentioned that the type of relations to be created with Russia was a debate within the European Union, too. However, she said it would be welcome should a partnership develop on the basis of a solid agreement. The United States and Hungary enjoy a close association, and co-operation is spreading in many areas - from Afghanistan to efforts to promote democracy in Cuba. On the issue of energy security the differences of viewpoints stem from the fact that for the U.S. the subject is one of strategic-political significance while for Hungary it is essentially a question of energy supply. She mentioned that the countries’ differences can be solved in the course of dialogue. Ms Göncz said she was glad that the process to grant visa-free travel to the U.S. was progressing favourably. The foreign minister spoke about plans in relation to Latin-American, Asian, Middle-Eastern and African foreign policy. Multilateral diplomacy is aided by the fact that in a number of points of the world considerable interest is being shown with regard to Hungary’s experiences of democratic transformation. Ms Göncz said the reason for this is that Hungary is authoritative in that it managed to go through the process successfully and peacefully. Institutional and governmental co-operation on this question is, furthermore, out of the ordinary and helps Hungary make its case in many places. Ms Göncz urged that the United Nations should continue its reforms, particularly as regards sustainable development, mitigating the consequences of climate change and the further application of the Millennium Development Goals. With regard to NATO co-operation, she noted that Hungary is expanding its presence in Afghanistan - on the one hand taking over control of Kabul Airport and on the other deploying a special forces sub-unit in Southern Afghanistan. Hungarian peacekeepers are also present in the Western Balkans. The fact that NATO selected the Pápa airbase (located in Western Hungary) as one of its reinforcement support bases is also a tribute, she said. Among other successes mentioned by the minister was the ever greater presence of international organisations that had chosen Budapest as the site for their various offices (the regional headquarters of the UN High Commission of Refugees, as well as the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies). She said that Hungarian diplomacy can also count as successes the facts that the EU’s Head of Mission in Moldova is a Hungarian, that a Hungarian general of the police forces leads the EU Border Assistance Mission and the Moldovan Prime Minister also has an adviser who happens to be a senior Hungarian diplomat. Hungary’s operation of the Chisinau Common Applicaton Centre is an excellent example of how EU member states work together for a common aim. Consular services serve Hungary itself, since they provide a face to the outside world, and partly for this reason there are very ambitious development concepts in this area. The recently held conference for honorary consuls also confirmed this, Ms Göncz added. In conclusion, the Foreign Minister called everyone’s attention to the need for service diplomacy to come to the forefront; mission leaders require a capability for problem-solving which should be pared with the aptitude for co-operation and co-ordination. Ms Göncz thanked them for their work and attendance, and urged them to spread the basis of good examples in their spheres with creativity, because only in this way is it possible to represent the country’s interests effectively. (July 2, 2008) |