Defence Minister: Peace most important topic today

Established in 2010 at the initiative of Austria, the CEDC comprises Hungary, Slovakia, Czechia, Slovenia and Croatia, but defence officials of the Western Balkan countries have also been invited to the Budapest meeting given the importance of those countries to the region’s security, Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky told current affairs channel M1.

The Western Balkan countries have been the epicenters of wars for centuries, but central Europe’s and Hungary’s interests lie in calm, Szalay-Bobrovniczky said, underlining the importance of speeding up the EU integration of the countries in question.

He said that several of the Western Balkan countries have been waiting to join the EU for years, even though their membership would bring stability to Europe, open up new markets and provide economic growth for the entire bloc.

Speaking to public broadcaster Kossuth Radio, Szalay-Bobrovniczky noted this week’s Budapest Security Dialogue conference which is set to have close to 600 participants, including the CEDC leaders. The conference will focus on the issues of war and peace and the defence industry, he said.