UK not seeking to suspend Hungary's NATO membership

The British government is not seeking to suspend the membership of any NATO country, and it appreciates Hungary's contributions to the organization, Hungarian Defense Minister Imre Szekeres told journalists in Budapest on Tuesday.

Szekeres was citing a communique by UK Ambassador to Hungary John Nichols, issued in the wake of recent media reports that a British MP had suggested that countries which did not meet their obligations should be suspended from NATO and had specifically mentioned Hungary.

Szekeres reiterated that he had not met leading Tory MP Liam Fox during a recent visit to Hungary. He also said he had extended an invitation to Fox for a repeat visit, adding that he hoped to personally brief him on the country's contribution to NATO missions.

Fox was quoted by the Financial Times last Wednesday as saying, "When I was in Poland and Hungary in the last few weeks, I was complaining to them that they have come into NATO, pocketed the security guarantee and have cut defense spending."

Source: Xinhua