NATO's open door (1999) with the former Hungarian Foreign Minister and former Czech Ambassador

NATO Through Time

Why did NATO open its door to former Warsaw Pact adversaries after the end of the Cold War?
What was the process for Czechia, Hungary and Poland to join the Alliance?
How has NATO changed in the 25 years since this historic enlargement?
In this episode, former Hungarian Foreign Minister János Martonyi and former Czech Ambassador to NATO Karel Kovanda share their perspectives on this transformative era in NATO history. They reflect on their youths, growing up under communism in Warsaw Pact countries, witnessing the end of the Cold War in 1989, and helping to lead their countries into NATO in 1999. They also discuss how their countries have contributed to the Alliance over the past 25 years, and where NATO is heading in the future.

Chương

1. Introduction (00:00:00)

2. The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (00:03:53)

3. The Prague Spring of 1968 (00:06:28)

4. Learning about NATO in Communist Hungary (00:09:33)

5. NATO's image in Communist Czechoslovakia (00:11:12)

6. 1989 - the end of communism in Hungary (00:11:55)

7. 1989 - the end of communism in Czechoslovakia (00:14:07)

8. Returning to Czechoslovakia after the Cold War (00:18:36)

9. Czechia's road to NATO (00:19:58)

10. Hungary's road to NATO (00:22:51)

11. The 1999 Kosovo air campaign (00:24:52)

12. The 2002 Prague Summit and further enlargement (00:28:16)

13. 25 years of NATO membership for Czechia (00:30:58)

14. 25 years of NATO membership for Hungary (00:32:15)

15. The future of NATO (00:33:21)

16. Reflections on the 1999 NATO enlargement (00:36:04)

17. Poland's journey alongside Czechia and Hungary (00:38:04)

18. Takeaways from the conversation (00:41:46)