Hungary keen on defense cooperation with Baltics

TALLINN (BNS) - The countries newly admitted into NATO can and are eager to improve defense and political relations with the Baltic states, Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in Tallinn June 1.

"It is within our power to do something toward this end. That is why I was invited to visit the Baltic Defense College here. That is why we send our military to study here and also seek to improve our bilateral military relations," Orban said at a news conference. His Estonian counterpart, Mart Laar, said the Baltic states have a very positive experience of the cooperation between Poland and Lithuania.

"We also talked about the need to strengthen our bilateral ties to exchange information and experience. The success of the three new NATO members is especially important for us as applicant countries, because then it will be much easier to open NATO doors for a new round of enlargement," Laar observed.

Hungary became a full member of the North Atlantic alliance along with Poland and the Czech Republic last year.

"We want to do everything within our power to help the countries who would like to join and are able to join NATO to remove all obstacles and make sure of their eventual entry into NATO," the Hungarian prime minister said.

Speaking about the enlargement of the European Union, Orban voiced the opinion that the EU at present lacks strategy. He added, however, that to his mind all member countries support the union's expansion.

Candidate countries should support one another, hold regular consultations on enlargement issues and discuss the course of accession talks, Orban said.

There are good prospects for forging closer ties between Estonia and Hungary, Orban observed.

"We like each other, and we should address more practical issues like trade and investments," he said.

EU enlargement and applicant countries' readiness for accession were discussed also at the Hungarian prime minister's and official delegation's meeting with Estonian Parliament Chairman Toomas Savi.

Savi affirmed at the meeting that Estonia's domestic policy priority is homework for joining the EU which requires smooth cooperation between the government and the legislature in harmonizing and implementing legislation.

Speaking about the EU's internal reforms, the parties voiced doubt that a certain risk involved in the union's expansion might curb the enlargement process, a parliamentary press representative said.