DATE=3/11/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-42838
TITLE=HUNGARY/NATO
BYLINE=STEFAN BOS
DATELINE=BUDAPEST
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 


INTRO:  AS THE FIRST FORMER WARSAW PACT COUNTRIES TO JOIN NATO 
TAKE UP THEIR MEMBERSHIP (TODAY/FRIDAY) IN THE WESTERN MILITARY 
ALLIANCE, HUNGARY'S PRIME MINISTER IS CALLING ON NATO TO EXPAND 
EVEN FURTHER INTO EASTERN EUROPE.  NOT  EVERYONE IN THE REGION 
AGREES, SINCE NATO'S THREE NEWCOMERS -- THE CZECH REPUBLIC, 
HUNGARY AND POLAND -- HAVE A DIFFICULT TASK AHEAD, AS THEY 
UPGRADE THEIR MILITARY TO NATO'S STANDARDS.  STEFAN BOS REPORTS 
FROM BUDAPEST.

TEXT:

     /// SFX: MARCHING SOLDIERS -- ESTABLISH, FADE UNDER ///

AT A MILITARY AIRFIELD NEAR LAKE BALATON, HUNGARIAN SOLDIERS 
MARCH PROUDLY DURING A NATO EXERCISE.  BUT THEIR OFFICERS SAY 
PRIVATELY THERE IS LITTLE TO SMILE ABOUT.  THEY AGREE WITH 
WESTERN MILITARY EXPERTS THAT HUNGARY'S ARMY IS  NOT  YET READY 
TO MARCH INTO THE NEW MILLENNIUM AS A RELIABLE, MODERN NATO 
FORCE.

WHAT WAS ONCE AN ARMY OF MORE THAN 100-THOUSAND SOLDIERS,  NOW 
HAS BARELY 60-THOUSAND TROOPS.  AND MOST OF THE OFFICERS ONLY 
SPEAK RUSSIAN AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE.

DURING THE YEARS HUNGARY WAS ALLIED WITH THE SOVIET UNION IN THE 
WARSAW PACT, RUSSIAN WAS NECESSARY, TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE RED 
ARMY LEADERSHIP.  NOW THESE SAME HUNGARIAN OFFICERS ARE TURNING 
TO THE WEST -- TO NATO AND TO THE UNITED STATES -- AND 
ENGLISH-LANGUAGE SKILLS ARE NEEDED.

PRIME MINISTER VIKTOR ORBAN EXPLAINS THE DEFENSE PRIORITIES OF 
HIS (CENTER-RIGHT) GOVERNMENT:

                     /// FIRST ORBAN ACT ///

 WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO REFORM OUR EDUCATION FOR THE MILITARY 
PERSONS.  SO LET'S SAY THE SOFTWARE OF THE HUNGARIAN ARMY SHOULD 
BE IMPROVED, [AS WELL AS] COMMUNICATION ABILITIES,  LANGUAGE 
CAPABILITIES AND EDUCATION -- ESPECIALLY IN ENGLISH, BECAUSE THAT
IS THE LANGUAGE OF NATO NOW.  SO WE PUT THE EMPHASIS ON THESE 
ISSUES.

                         /// END ACT ///

TO TAKE A FULL ROLE IN NATO, HUNGARY MUST UPGRADE ITS MILITARY 
EQUIPMENT TO WESTERN STANDARDS.  EXPERTS ESTIMATE THE COST AT 
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

THIS WILL BE TOUGH FOR HUNGARY, WHICH IS ALREADY STRUGGLING WITH 
THE BURDEN OF TRANSITION TO A FREE-MARKET ECONOMY.

AT THE SAME TIME, DEFENSE INDUSTRIES ACROSS HUNGARY, POLAND AND 
THE CZECH REPUBLIC ARE SUFFERING AS A RESULT OF THE COLLAPSE OF 
COMMUNISM, WHICH ENDED GOVERNMENT-FINANCED WEAPONS PROGRAMS.

ANALYSTS SAY THAT IS WHY OPINION POLLS SHOW ONLY 60 PERCENT OF 
HUNGARIANS NOW FAVOR THEIR COUNTRY'S MEMBERSHIP IN NATO -- DOWN 
FROM 80 PERCENT A YEAR EARLIER.

HUNGARIAN CRITICS ARGUE THAT NATO SHOULD HAVE EXPANDED MORE 
SLOWLY, BUT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HERE SAY THE FORMER WARSAW PACT 
COUNTRIES WANTED TO JOIN THE ALLIANCE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE,  
BECAUSE OVER CONCERN ABOUT THE CONFLICT IN KOSOVO.

RUSSIA SAYS NATO EXPANSION WILL ONLY LEAD TO NEW DIVISIONS IN 
EUROPE, BUT PRIME MINISTER ORBAN DISAGREES:

                    /// SECOND ORBAN ACT ///

                 IT WAS  NOT  POSSIBLE TO ACCEPT ALL THE 
                 COUNTRIES WHO ASKED FOR MEMBERSHIP OF NATO.  
                 THEY [THE NATO ACOUNCIL] ACCEPTED THOSE 
                 COUNTRIES WHICH WERE IN THE PROPER FORM.  BUT AT
                 THE SAME TIME, THEY KEEP THE DOOR OPEN FOR THE 
                 OTHER COUNTRIES.  THEREFORE THERE IS  NO  DANGER
                 OF CREATING NEW DIVISION-LINES,  [BECAUSE] OF 
                 THE ENLARGEMENT PROCESS.

                         /// END ACT ///

DESPITE HUNGARY'S MILITARY SHORTCOMINGS, MR. ORBAN BELIEVES HIS 
COUNTRY WILL BE ABLE TO FULFILL ITS NATO OBLIGATIONS.  HUNGARY 
WILL BE PART OF NATO'S SOUTHERN COMMAND, AND MAY HAVE TO 
PARTICIPATE IN PEACE OPERATIONS IN THE YUGOSLAV PROVINCE OF 
KOSOVO AND OTHER TROUBLED BALKAN REGIONS.

                        /// REST OPT ///

  /// SFX: SOUND OF HELICOPTERS -- ESTABLISH AND FADE UNDER ///

ARMY HELICOPTERS CIRCLED ABOVE SNOW-BOUND HUNGARIAN VILLAGES THIS
WINTER AS THE COUNTRY EXPERIENCED ITS WORST BLIZZARDS IN DECADES.
PILOTS DROPPED HEALTH SUPPLIES AND FOOD, AND AIRLIFTED MANY 
SERIOUSLY-ILL PATIENTS TO SAFETY.  HUNGARIAN COMMANDERS SAY THEY 
COULD PROVIDE SIMILAR ASSISTANCE IN KOSOVO, BUT THEY WOULD PREFER
TO AVOID ANY MILITARY INVOLVEMENT IN THAT CONFLICT.

FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN GABOR HORVATH EXPLAINS:

                       /// HORVATH ACT ///

A CONSIDERABLE HUNGARIAN NATIONAL MINORITY IS LIVING IN THE 
NORTHERN PART OF YUGOSLAVIA, IN VOJVODINA.  AND FROM THERE YOUNG 
ETHNIC HUNGARIANS ARE DRAFTED INTO THE YUGOSLAV ARMY.  SO I THINK
IT IS CLEAR THAT HUNGARY WOULD LIKE TO AVOID A SITUATION WHERE 
ONE HUNGARIAN SOLDIER WOULD FACE ANOTHER HUNGARIAN SOLDIER IN 
KOSOVO.

                         /// END ACT ///

ANALYSTS SAY DEFINING HUNGARY'S ROLE IN THE NATO ALLIANCE WILL 
TAKE TIME.  HOWEVER, NATO OFFICIALS BELIEVE THAT EXPANDING THE 
ALLIANCE EASTWARD IS STILL THE BEST WAY TO HEAL THE WOUNDS OF 
HISTORY.

PRIME MINISTER ORBAN SAYS HE HOPES SLOVAKIA -- HOME TO A LARGE 
ETHNIC-HUNGARIAN MINORITY -- WILL BE ABLE TO JOIN NATO SOON.  
ITALY'S PRIME MINISTER MASSIMO D'ALEMA, APPEARING WITH MR. ORBAN 
AT A NEWS CONFERENCE IN BUDAPEST THURSDAY, SAID NATO'S NEXT 
MEMBERS SHOULD INCLUDE SLOVENIA, ROMANIA AND -- AT A LATER STAGE 
-- BULGARIA.  ALTHOUGH THEY DISAGREED ON PRIORITIES, THE TWO 
LEADERS AGREED THAT NATO EXPANSION SHOULD CONTINUE INTO THE NEXT 
CENTURY.   (SIGNED)

NEB/SB/WDC/WTW

11-Mar-99 8:08 PM EST (0108 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.