04 December 1998
(Wants to "put Hungary back on the map" among Americans) (440) Washington -- Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty issued a press release reporting that Zsolt Nemeth, state secretary in the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, remarked in a briefing December 4 that Hungary is concerned that a "new Iron Curtain" based on social and economic factors may emerge if the countries of Central and Eastern Europe are not included in the European Union and NATO in a timely fashion. Following is the text of the press release: (Begin text) HUNGARY FEARS "NEW IRON CURTAIN" Washington, DC -- 4 December 1998 -- Hungary is concerned that a "new Iron Curtain" based on social and economic factors may emerge if the countries of Central and Eastern Europe are not included in the European Union and NATO in a timely fashion, a senior Hungarian foreign ministry official told a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty briefing yesterday. Zsolt Nemeth, State Secretary in the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Hungary takes its responsibility as a soon-to-be NATO member very seriously and will practice a "conscious policy to spread stability in the region." But the seven countries which border Hungary have not yet been invited to join the Alliance, he pointed out, and Hungary wants to see its neighbors included as soon as possible. Nemeth warned, that "...damaging the open door policy of NATO will affect the stability of the entire region" Nemeth added that Hungary is working to revitalize the Visegrad group, an informal political alliance of Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic, as well as strengthening the Central European Free Trade Association (CEFTA). To this end, he said, Hungary is also encouraging those multinational corporations with investments in Hungary to look to the wider European region. The current government views the ethnic Hungarian minorities in neighboring countries as useful "bridges" to strengthen liberal democracy in the region, according to Nemeth. Ethnic-Hungarian democratic political parties not only exist, but hold parliamentary seats in many of the neighboring states. Nemeth also expressed the hope that the Hungarian-American community will become a bridge between Hungary and the United States for the 21st century and "put Hungary back on the map" among Americans. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is a private, international radio service to Eastern Europe and Southeastern Europe, Russia, the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Middle East. More than 20 million regular listeners rely on RFE/RL's daily news, analysis and current affairs programming to provide a coherent, objective account of events in their region and the world. (End text)