Hungary and NATO [antikvár]

The quest for relations with the developed Western world, the democratic Western European and North-American countries, has been considered a generál goal throughout the history of Hungary. However, due to the historical events, close contact has until now been impossible. Now there is a definite possibility for the institutionalisation of relations through NATO accession, expected in 1999. Though Atlanticism (the notion of the unity of the countries in the North-Atlantic region) is virtually as old as the existence of Europeans (Anglo-Saxons) on the northern part of the Western Hemisphere, for many, the Atlantic idea was first conceived on April 4,1949, at the foundation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, NATO. The necessity for the protection of the Atlantic values was inevitably linked to the recognition of the role the United States played in world politics, to the reliance on the great American democracy, and to the hope that the American government could stop Soviet expansion, and protect Europe from communism. Although the post-war years and the way the West handled the events of 1956 were disappointing, hope lingered in the Eastern-Central European region that the West would ultimately not abandon the countries driven under Soviet rule, including Hungary. The notion of opening first appeared in Hungárián foreign affairs in the 1970's. Even at that time this meant opening towards the countries of the Euró-Atlantic community. At the beginning of the 1980's, this process was becoming more and more evident. Hungary joined the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in 1982, despite the fact that the official Soviet opinion of both of these organisations was that of disapproval. In 1985, Hungary started official talks with the European Economic Community and in 1988, after the conclusion of the talks, full diplomatic relations were established with the European Communities, the predecessor of the European Union. The partners reached an agreement on the gradual lifting of trade quotas, as well as on industrial and other forms of co-operation.