No. 21 (03/09/99)
One month of Euro-Atlantic integration
Summary August 1999
2 August
- Europe is more and more lagging behind the United States in the field of armament, dependence on the Americans is further increased, writes Hans Rühle, the former head of the planning staff at the defence ministry in Bonn. While the war in Kosovo is called by some as a war of union for Europe, which has been a catalyst for properly recognizing the path that leads to Europe's defence identity, the German expert says that for the time being there is no European military option, and there will not be any in the short run; the war in Kosovo has been fought and won by NATO under U.S. command.
- We shall provide whatever support is needed to George Robertson, UK Defence Minister, candidate for the position of the NATO Secretary-general, says István Szabó, chargé d'affaires at the Hungarian NATO representation in Brussels, then he adds that a secretary-general will be able to fulfil the position at the top of the Alliance who being the representative of a European Union member state will most probably pay the greatest attention to the issues of Europe's defence identity.
3 August
- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is ready to elect George Robertson, UK Defence Minister as its next secretary-general, announce NATO sources in Brussels. His predecessor, the Spanish Javier Solana will control the foreign policy of the European Union from October. Originally it was Rudolf Scharping, German defence minister who was asked to fulfil the function but he rejected it referring to the tasks incumbent on him during the process of reforming the German armed forces, and simultaneously stated that he was certain that Robertson would become an excellent secretary-general.
- The new NATO Secretary-general will visit Hungary as early as this year, says András Simonyi, Hungarian NATO Ambassador, Budapest has a very good relationship with the politician and determinedly supports him to be elected. NATO members expect George Robertson to execute the resolutions made at the Washington summit and to continue the peace keeping military operations in Kosovo and Bosnia. It will be another important task of the new secretary-general to reinforce the European security and defence identity. Finally, András Simonyi adds that in a few years Hungary will also put forward nominees to occupy leading offices in NATO.
4 August
- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has named George Robertson as NATO Secretary-general and the Chairman of the Council.. The UK defence minister is expected to occupy his office in autumn. 'It is one of the jobs with the widest range and at the same time the best one in the world', says the would-be secretary-general to BBC. Robertson considers his main task in the short run is to recover the relationship to Russia. In János Martonyi, Foreign Ministers's view the UK politician is an internationally recognized person whose nomination will further strengthen the unity of NATO.
5 August
- We deem it is a breach of civil control that no other than governing party representatives may take part as observers in the work of the committee that perform a strategic supervision at the Defence Ministry, states Ferenc Juhász (MSZP), deputy chairman of the Defence Committee of the National Assembly. Tamás Wachsler, administrative under-secretary at the Defence Ministry says that in view of the fact that defence is a national issue that is beyond the parties, it is the intention of the Ministry to involve representatives of the Parliament into the process of decision making in any way but not before the body that performs the supervision will have completed the necessary drafts.
9 August
- Zsolt Lányi, the chairman of the Defence Committee of the National Assembly believes that in the autumn it will be necessary to discuss the restructuring of the Hungarian Army, the laws related to our NATO obligations, the movement of troops and the amendment of the constitution as one package. With this statement the small-holder politician has replied to the proposal put forward by the Socialists at the end of the previous week when Ferenc Juhász, the deputy chairman of the Defence Committee indicated that the parliamentary group of the Socialist Party would again bring in a bill to amend the constitution on the movement of troops. Zsolt Lányi, chairman has agreed with deputy chairman Ferenc Juhász that it is the National Assembly that has to make a decision on Hungary's taking part in establishing and keeping peace; he has not agreed, however, that it needs a two-thirds support.
11 August
- The reduction of staff in the army will primarily affect background institutions and executive organizations, says General Lajos Fodor, chief of the general staff. Zoltán Martinusz, deputy under-secretary for defence policy at the Defence Ministry believes that the reduction will be of the order of ten thousands. The strategic supervision ordered at the Hungarian Army and the Defence Ministry will be completed at the end of September and one of its main aims is to allow that an army possible to finance can be set up. Lajos Fodor has also said that in his view the fact that the national army is heavily tied to the capital has to be changed.
13 August
- Border guards constitute a part of the armed forces, subsequently their budget is calculated under defence expenses. If it became exclusively an organisation of security forces, the subsidy to the Hungarian Army would have to be raised with more than twenty billion HUF. Although the Ministry of the Interior does not exclude the option of integrating the police and the border guards, due to financial reasons they do not foster the idea. Zsolt Lányi, chairman of the Defence Committee of the National Assembly believes that the tasks related to guarding the borders performed by the border guards should be taken over by the national army. The Prime Minister's Office is of a similar opinion that the latest before the accession to the European Union border security and border protection functions will have to be separated.
- The Japanese Government has definitely approved of the plan to develop a Japanese/American theatre of war missile deflection system (TMD) which may provide protection against possible North Korean missile attacks, says the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo. U.S. Defence Secretary Cohen states that the defence system to be developed will not represent any threat to any countries.
17 August
- The Hungarian Defence Minister has made site inspection in Pristina. János Szabó and his escort, among others General Lajos Fodor, the Commander of the Hungarian Army and Tamás Wachsler, administrative under-secretary at the Defence Ministry have been received during the one day visit at the KFOR general headquarters. NATO officials at the centre of the international peace keeping forces have rated the Hungarian peace keeping corps' work, the guarding and security activity undertaken by them, outstanding. General Giovanetti, General Michael Jackson's first deputy has had the highest regard for the Hungarian's coping with their tasks and their professional skills.
22 August
- Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in a statement made by him to a German radio station, speaking about the NATO membership of Hungary has expressed his conviction that it was the accession to the Western defence block that held back Slobodan Miloshevitch, Yugoslavian President from beginning an ethnic purge in Vojvodina after Kosovo.
25 August
- The National Security Council at the White House has prepared an overall U.S. defence strategy plan for the 21st century in which it can be read that preparations will have to be made for facing the increase of harmonised anti-American attacks of terrorists and 'criminal' states'.. This concept describes the next century as a time when the American makers of politics will have to use economic, diplomatic and military tools in order to influence events.
- The Hungarian Foreign Minister has been also invited to attend the usual annual meeting of the French ambassadors. In Paris they have reiterated the fact that French foreign policy has shown an increasing interest in Hungary in recent years. It has been primarily due in addition to Hungary's NATO membership and the delayed crisis on the Balkans to economic reasons.
26 August
- It is national defence that may expect to see the greatest growth of expenses next year, this is what comes out of the budget report of the Ministry of Finance.. The budget of the Defence Ministry will be extended with 43.5 percent; above this year's 132 billion the ministry will receive 57.4 billion. The defence budget prioritised owing to the process of reforming the armed forces is followed, as shown in the report, out of the other departments by the Prime Minister's Office on the list of extension.
- The Defence Ministry's relief convoy with tents and camping sheets has been sent off from Táborfalva to the earthquake ridden Turkey. The Defence Ministry will also undertake to arrange organized holidays for 150 Turkish children at some holiday resort at the side of Lake Balaton.