NATO would not revoke its pledge made to Georgia and Ukraine and both countries would join NATO one day, NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary-General Aurelia Bouchez said in Budapest on Thursday, according to Hungary's News Agency MTI.
Addressing a NATO conference in Hungarian Parliament, Bouchez said NATO needs Russia as a partner at the same time. "We should not make a choice between NATO enlargement and Russia as we need both," she added.
Bouchez emphasized that NATO's military transformation should result in more flexibly deployable forces.
Bouchez said there was no point in handling NATO and European defence policies separately. She said NATO and the EU should focus on cooperation rather than rivalry.
Bouchez placed a high value on Hungary's military presence in Afghanistan.
Hungary's Defence Minister Imre Szekeres stressed the need for a new financing scheme for NATO missions, where participant states share costs. He said Hungary's reconstruction team would continue its mission in Afghanistan's Baglan province and would join further military missions, too.
Hungary would celebrate its 10th anniversary of NATO membership in 2009, when NATO would celebrate its 60th anniversary.