Hungarian President János Áder addressed an online meeting of the heads of state of the so-called Bucharest Nine (B9), a group of the easternmost members of NATO, the President’s Office said. In the meeting that was also joined by US President Joe Biden and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, the presidents of the grouping comprising the Visegrad Group, the Baltic states, Bulgaria and Romania discussed the “NATO 2030” reform process, the situation in Ukraine and climate change.
In his address, Áder noted that Hungary in 2017 adopted a comprehensive military reform scheme that was progressing according to schedule. As regards Ukraine, the president reiterated Hungary’s position in support of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He added, however, that it was difficult to uphold this support if Ukraine’s Hungarian minority “enjoys less rights than it did in the Soviet era”. Áder said that in addition to addressing challenges from the east, NATO in the future would also have to devote greater attention to threats from the south such as terrorism, illegal migration and the spread of Russia’s influence in the Western Balkans. On the subject of climate change, Áder said that Hungary had managed to reduce its harmful emissions by 32% while increasing its economic output. He welcomed the United States’ return to the Paris climate accord and underscored Hungary’s commitment to the fight against climate change.
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