H.E. Mr. Gergely Bánhegyi:

I thank the Senator for all her comments and questions. I am happy she also sees common ground and common points in our Presidency programme which might be a good basis for good co-operation. This is what the Hungarian Government is also expecting in the next six months. As I mentioned, the Hungarian Government is committed to act as an honest broker and we fully understand that, in its Presidency, Hungary is representing all member states and not only Hungary. This is very important to stress.

On the new US President and the issues with NATO and defence capabilities, as I mentioned in my opening remarks, Europe needs to focus on its strategic autonomy and its own capabilities to protect itself. Sitting here in Ireland, we all understand that not all EU member states are members of NATO. That is also important to stress. For this reason, the European Union has to have its own capabilities, tools and means to work together as a Union, including in the field of defence co-operation.

We will see what happens in the autumn, but President Trump might evoke different feelings for different people. We know his personality and presidency were divisive. It created divisive feelings for people. As a basis for our Presidency, and it is also valid for this topic, we think the European Union has to find a way to not live in the shadow of any other big global players, whether that is China, Russia or the United States. It has to have its own voice and plan. The European Union has to have its own capabilities to act independently. On competitiveness, the Senator mentioned China, supporting European businesses, energy and the question of precious metals-----