Connie
Doebele: Our
guest is the Hungarian Ambassador to the United States, András Simonyi,
who joins us to talk about his country and how it is partnering with the
United States in an attempt to overthrow Saddam Hussein. Why are you
involved?
András
Simonyi:
Connie, first of all, we are allies. And also because we have always said
that we would like to resolve this crisis with the United Nations by
peaceful means, but we have also added, if it is not possible by peaceful
means, we are going to have
to resort to force and that’s what we have said in the last couple of
months, and we stick to that and as we move on I think the international
community is increasingly realizing that this might have to be the case.
CD:
Will there be a second UN resolution?
AS:
That I cannot tell you. We hope, but that I cannot tell you at this
moment.
CD:
Why do you hope?
AS:
Because I think we have to make sure that the United Nations fulfills its
role, that the United Nations also by showing strength stays credible, and
I think it’s important, it’s a cornerstone of our international
security system. It’s in our interest that the United Nations does what
it has to do.
CD:
What is Hungary offering to be part of the coalition?
AS:
Right now Hungary has offered a base, where Iraqi opposition persons are
being trained and that’s the way we have contributed but we are going to
assist by other means too, which I cannot describe to you at this moment.
CD:
Ok. Let’s just talk about the training then. Where is the base?
AS:
First of all, I hope you, viewers know that Hungary is a Central European
country surrounded by other seven Central European states and it’s a
country which has a languages that is quite strange because its not
related to the Slavic languages to which all other languages are related.
Now, this training base is south of Budapest, close to the Croatian
border, and I might want to tell you that this is a base that has been
used by the Alliance, by NATO in the efforts to bring peace to Bosnia and
in the efforts to bring peace to Kosovo as well.
CD:
So, what kind of training are they receiving there?
AS:
They’re receiving training, there’re interpreters, guides, etc and
this is pretty much a civilian type of training they are receiving.
CD:
Civilian type of training, meaning …?
AS:
Well, interpretation and guides and people who know, who know about Iraq,
but that’s all I can tell you know.
CD:
And is this the major base in your country?
AS:
This only one of the bases, but as I said, this base has been used by NATO
forces, by American forces, by American troops earlier in the crisis in
Bosnia and in the crisis for Kosovo, and it has served our cooperation
very well, and you might want to know that Hungarians are also involved in
the operation. Not in the training though, but in the operation, in
protecting the base, etc.
CD:
How many members of the armed forces do you have in Hungary?
AS:
Well, we have an approximately 40,000-strong armed force. And well, big or
small, I don’t know but I hope it’s a good one.
CD:
In comparison to how many people?
AS:
In comparison to ten million inhabitants.
CD:
And do you see the day in which you might actually have troops on the
ground in Iraq?
AS:
Look, we have not discussed that, but at this moment there is no talk
about that.
CD:
And what about, we were discussing earlier this morning, the fly-over
rights, the country giving rights to the United States or to the United
Nations for fly-overs. Has Hungary given that?
AS:
We are debating that, and that means certain decisions and these decisions
are in the making.
CD:
What about your own country? Are you finding any anti-war protests there?
AS:
Look, no one wants war. Hungarians don’t want war. Perhaps the anti-war
protests in Hungary are not as visible as elsewhere in Europe, there might
be several explanations for that, but of course the Hungarian population,
as others, and as I see, Americans, too, don’t want war. But of course
Hungarians perhaps have a better understanding for why democracies might
have to go to war. Look, in 1956 the international community, democracies
failed to act, in 1939, democracies failed to act against Hitler. In 1956,
because of the inaction of democracies Hungary got occupied by a foreign
power for 50 years and therefore probably Hungarians have a pretty good
understanding of what happens when democracies fail to move.
CD:
The Hungarian Ambassador to the United States is our guest. He is going to
take your questions regarding his country’s involvement in all of this
and here is how you can join us. Phone numbers are on the bottom of your
screen. First call for him is from Aleita, Kansas. Hello, Aleita, go
ahead.
Caller
1: First of
all I want to commend you on your country, on your support. I can only
support the policy of the United States and President Bush, and I was
wondering about your reaction to the critics, generally apprehensive about
the prospects of war, based on this statement: what are we going to do
with every dictator in the world who might be able to pass on weapons of
mass destruction to someone who might harm us, or are we going to go fight
every one of these dictators? And I am wondering if the United Nations
actually would stand in force against these dictators one by one and force
them out. This is 2003. Why are we considering doing that?
AS:
Well, Aleita thank you very much for you question. First of all, why we
support what has been done so far, and what has been said so far by the
American administration, is because we support peace. It’s not that we
support war. We just think that in order to find a peaceful solution we
have to be credible in being able to use arms if necessary. I also want to
tell you, that of course there is a lot of criticism. We are really
interested in making sure that there is no rift between Europe and America
on this issue. Europe and America have to stick together, the threats and
challenges that you were talking about for the future can only be faced if
there is no rift between the United States and its European allies,
that’s what Hungary is working on. And on your last question what
we’ll have to do with all the dictators and all the bad regimes. Well,
here is what we think. We certainly think that if Iraq becomes a
democratic nation that will ignite a process of democratization so that we
do not have to go to war in each and every case. What we have to get
prepared for and I think Americans and Europeans have to get prepared for,
the terrorism, is something that we will have to fight continuously and as
I said we have to stick together.
CD:
You have had in your professional carrier background at NATO.
AS:
That’s right. I spent almost nine years of my life at NATO, and it was
hard work. But here is something that I have been thinking about in the
last couple of weeks. I have seen tough situations between America and
Europe before and the real good news is that we always found a way to
resolve any crisis or possibility of rift and I think that is exactly what
is going to happen now.
CD:
And the role of NATO today?
AS:
NATO has to stay credible. NATO has to stay important. NATO is the only
real trans-Atlantic instrument and this has to be the institution of
choice for the future as well.
CD:
Next call is from New Orleans. Hello, New Orleans, go ahead.
Caller
2: Good
morning, Mr. Ambassador. It is nice to see you on TV here in the United
States. My question would be to you, one gets the impression that Hungary
is on its way to sabotage the European Union because, it’s a well-known
fact, the U.S. has only invested 2 %
in Hungary, in rebuilding Hungary’s economy, while other nations
like Germany have almost 40% invested and the United States has the least
of investment in Hungary. So I think you have to be very careful not to
participate in a rift in the European Union, that is very crucial for
Europe. Thank you. Because the might of the U.S. can never be duplicated
anywhere. Thank you.
AS:
Thank you very much. I didn’t really get your name, but I just want to
tell you, first of all, I’d love to come down to New Orleans and speak
to you in person. You are wrong about American investments. American
investments have been crucial in stabilizing the Hungarian economy in its
transitional phase. American investments amount to almost 30-35 % of the
total investments coming from abroad in Hungary. So that’s a pretty
important chunk of the investments. But please do not try to put the
American and European investments up against each other because they are
both crucial. We have coined a phrase saying, as Hungary joins the
European Union “more Europe” does not mean “less America,” meaning
that Hungary does not want to be in a situation where it has to choose.
Hungary will be a good European Union member and it will remain a strong
and stubborn trans-Atlantic ally. So I just want to make sure that we are
not working against the European Union. On the contrary, that’s what we
are working for. And that is what the famous letter signed by the eight
European leaders, including my prime minister, was about: making sure
there is no rift. The message was that Saddam Hussein should not be able
to drive a wedge between Europe and the United States.
CD:
Has the United States promised Hungary anything in exchange for its
programs or anything it might do in the future?
AS:
Absolutely not. And that’s why it is so important that everybody
understands. We do this because we think this is right, and we are going
to follow our line and we will stick to it and I think more and more
countries are coming around to understand that this is the right position
to take.
CD:
York from California, good morning.
AS:
Good morning, Mr. Ambassador. You touched a little bit today on what I was
going to ask. The last couple of callers kind of bothered me because
that’s what sovereignty is all about. I know in Hungary you had an
uprising, I think in ’55 or ’56, against the Soviet Union to obtain
that sovereignty and I think most of Eastern Europe was under repression
from the Soviet Union, so I would like to know a little bit more about how
the Eastern European countries appreciate that sovereignty. And one other
thing about Iraq. People seem to think that we’re not going to be
welcome in Iraq and I think when we entered France, when the British and
American troops entered Paris in 1944, we were welcome as liberators, not
conquerors. And I would like to know the Eastern European opinion on Iraq.
Can the Middle East be stabilized with Hussein there? Thank you.
AS:
First, thank you for your comments. Well, you are right about 1956, and of
course 1956 is a very strong legacy of Hungarians. But please make a
difference between sovereignty and freedom. We might have to surrender
some of our sovereignty to the European Union and that’s all right if
that’s a guarantee for our participation and our freedom and prosperity.
Now on how we would be welcome in Iraq. I think that is a little premature
question to ask because I don’t know if we will have to enter Iraq, I
still hope that we might be able to find a peaceful solution to the
crisis. I just want to tell you about the Iraqi people, that they are
well-educated, they are a lay nation which has an enormous source of
wealth, and they have all the ingredients to become a strong, democratic
nation if they are rid of their dictatorial regime.
CD:
Akron, Ohio.
Caller
3: I feel
that this administration, our administration in this country is just, they
already have the ball rolling for war, and I just don’t think that
it’s right. I oppose this President, I think it’s wrong. I hear you
talking, this is for peace, but there is an old saying: violence breeds
violence. I just don’t see how any of this is going to solve anything.
And I do believe that this war is for oil, oil translates to dollars. And
I spent about six years in the Navy and I was in France and in a couple of
countries and I was told that, right off the bat, that they don’t like
Americans but they like American dollars. With that being said, everything
was fine. But, I think this war is more for oil and it translates into
money for whoever supports this administration.
AS:
Well, I don’t think this war is about oil. And let me just take a little
piece of your question that was a pretty long question, but let me just
take a little piece of that, and that’s about anti-American sentiments
in Europe. That’s terrible. Just like anti-European sentiments in the
United States are terrible. We have to fight both, and I think it is the
responsibility of our leaders, and it’s the responsibility of both
Europeans and Americans to make sure that this does not get out of hand.
And sometimes people get pretty emotional about each other’s positions
but I really think that Americans are pretty much like European and,
let’s face it, Europeans are pretty much like Americans. So I don’t
see the reason why we should not able to fight this cancer which if it
gets out of hand would be a disaster for us all.
CD:
There is an Associated Press article talking about Jacques Chirac and the
statements he made yesterday at the European Union, and the feelings by
some that there was a threat against some of the Eastern European
countries about whether they would be allowed to enter the European Union
because of this letter you had mentioned earlier. Hungary is already in
the EU, correct? But how do you feel about him talking about Romania,
Bulgaria, some of these other countries?
AS:
Connie, can I be diplomatic on that? I have read it but I haven’t heard
it.
CD:
You have read it, but you haven’t heard it. Therefore, no comment, is
that what you are saying?
AS:
I would not like to comment on that.
CD:
Were you surprised to hear it?
AS:
I was a little surprised but I don’t know what exactly was said, I
don’t know what was the context, so I would rather not comment on that.
CD:
You think it might cause a little backlash against the French in some
countries?
AS:
No, I don’t think so. It shouldn’t.
CD:
Next call is from New York. Go ahead, Sir.
Caller
4: Thank you
for your comments, Mr. Ambassador. I just wanted to ask you a question. I
keep on hearing people talking this war is about oil, and I find it’s an
extremely simplistic point of view, because when I look at these events, I
see such a real ……… between this and what’s going on now and in
the 1930’s, and what ended in being the demise of the League of Nations.
I support the President’s position on trying to take preventive
action. I don’t see why we are supposed to wait for photos to come out
of Bin Laden and Hussein hanging out together. When you look at history, I
mean just look at Stalin, you know, he signed a non-aggression pact with
Hitler and was at war with him a year later. And then we were allies with
him and then we, you know, he was our enemy during the cold war. What I
would like to hear is the Ambassador’s thoughts on is this. I mean, I
think President Bush is correct in not waiting for this to happen because
everybody, you know, any student of history can tell you that a common
enemy sure can make people bury the hatchet in a million other differences
they might have.
AS:
Yes, I agree with you. This is not about oil. It’s about nuclear,
biological and chemical warfare threat, and dictatorships having and
acquiring these kind of capabilities, so you are quite right in your
assessment. But I would want to warn you. You cannot just discard the
public’s concerns and you cannot just discard the international
community. The United States is far better off building a broad coalition
with its allies, moving together with its European allies, and that’s
exactly what is happening. And I am very pleased with the way the efforts
have been made in the last couple of months. Sometimes it doesn’t look
very easy, but in the end I’m absolutely certain that the United States
and Europe will move together on this issue.
CD:
Washington, D.C.
Caller
5: Yes, Mr.
Ambassador I’d like to ask you what you think about in Jordan, for
example, 90% of the public opinion is against the war. How do you think
the king should react? Should he consult with his public opinion, or
should he ignore his public opinion?
AS:
Well, I am the Ambassador of Hungary and I am not entitled to answer any
questions related to problems of internal nature in another country and
I’d rather not give you an answer. I think the wise and able leadership
of Jordan will be able to deal with this problem without my advice.
CD:
The country of Hungary is ruled by what party right now?
AS:
It is ruled by a Social Democratic/Liberal coalition, and the
conservatives are in the opposition. Sorry, Connie?
CD:
No, I was just trying to make that into an American context.
AS:
It is a left-of-center kind of government with a very strong emphasis on
social welfare policies, but is very stubbornly supporting market economy.
CD:
Next caller is Lionel from Kansas.
Caller
6: Yes, Mr.
Ambassador. I’d like to welcome you to the United States and I’d like
you to go back and tell your people we appreciate all the help they have
given us over the years and stuff, but in our last segment they talked
about the American Legion and the forming of a world-wide group to help
support each other. What do you think Hungary would feel along the lines,
are you able to answer a question like that?
CD:
It was “foreign legion,” not “American Legion,” but there was a
column in this morning’s New York Times proposing the possibility
of an American foreign legion, and what that would be like in order to
take the pressure off the decreasing number in the United States military.
AS:
I think the foreign legion grew out of a historic situation in France, and
it’s pretty much a French culture. I don’t think it’s the answer to
the problems. Look, in any country the response to the call of the armies
is decreasing. I don’t think that would be the answer, but this is not
the only initiative or idea I have seen cropping up and trying to solve
the problems of armies. Personally, I don’t feel culturally that is
something that fits. I would much rather support the idea to build a
strong alliance and continue to work together with the NATO allies.
CD:
Next is Hartford, Connecticut.
Caller
7: Good
morning. I would like to ask, Mr. Ambassador, about the relationship with
Hungary and Turkey at the moment. I am kind of aware that Turkey at the
moment is the biggest enemy of the Kurds in the North of Iraq and now they
have been attacking the Kurds form the North and looks like nobody knows
about these things. What is his position on that, how does he protect the
Kurdish people from the Turkish people?
AS:
Well, two comments on that. First comment is that you do know that Turkey
wishes to join the European Union and our message is that we strongly
support Turkey’s membership in the European Union, given that Turkey
fulfils all the requirements of the European Union, which includes market
economy, democratic institutions, and a respect for human rights and
minorities. The second thing is, of course, I want to make clear to you
that Turkey is a very strong ally, a strong and good ally of Hungary and
the other NATO nations, and we work very closely together within the
Alliance.
CD:
What’s the current economic status in Hungary?
AS:
Well, the economy is pretty strong and I want to refer back to the comment
I made about American investment. Foreign investments have been crucial in
stabilizing the economy. The growth rate is about 3.5 %. There is a huge
return on investments and if you want to know, our investment funds have
given a better return than many in the world. So I just want to say
Hungary is a good place to invest now, and my message to the investors is:
come now before it’s too late, because others will be there.
CD:
What is your largest industry again?
AS:
Our largest industry? You will be surprised. We built an auto industry
from scrap. The Audi TT, this beautiful sports-car, is built in Hungary.
90% of all the Audi-Volkswagen engines are built in Hungary. General
Motors has plants in Hungary. Suzuki has plants in Hungary. Auto parts
makers have plants in Hungary. I’d like to make sure you know that we
have huge investments from the information technology sector and
biotechnology, which is the next bubble, the next revolution. Hungary has
pretty strong positions there. So I call on those who are interested in
biotechnology: go to Hungary now, because it is an interesting place of
contact.
CD:
Ambassador Simonyi, thank you very much for joining us this morning.
AS:
Thank you, Connie.
