HUNGARIAN VIEWS ON EUROPEAN SECURITY AND THE CORFU

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUDAPEST 000416 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CE JAMIE LAMORE E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/09/2024 TAGS: PGOV PREL NATO OSCE EU HU SUBJECT: HUNGARIAN VIEWS ON EUROPEAN SECURITY AND THE CORFU MINISTERIAL REF: SECSTATE 57920 Classified By: Acting P/E Counselor Jon Martinson, reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) The Charge raised reftel points during June 9 office call on new MFA State Secretary for Political Affairs Gabor Iklody. Iklody responded that Hungary is "just as skeptical about the Russian proposal, but we are open to listen." He noted the current security system works, and if the Russians have something concrete to offer, they should be able to explain it. "They cannot fill a balloon with hot air and wait for us to do the work on their behalf." Iklody expressed support for the OSCE as a key component of the European security structure, but noted that the less-than-effective compliance mechanisms make it difficult to implement OSCE initiatives. ¶2. (C) In PolOff's follow-on meeting with MFA Security Policy Department Desk Officer Eszter Sandorfi, she confirmed that both the Foreign Minister and State Secretary Iklody would attend the Corfu Ministerial. Sandorfi stated that Hungary supports a unified position, commenting that a "legally binding treaty is not a realistic approach" to address the European security architecture. That said, in closing, Sandorfi highlighted the need for better coordination among the existing security institutions to more effectively respond to security challenges. Levine