Hybrid threats and foreign interference biggest security challenges

At a meeting with parliamentary chairs of the Austerlitz Format countries (S3: Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia) in Salzburg, Austria, Parliamentary Vice-chair Peter Ziga (Vo-SD), who has been temporarily entrusted with the powers of House chair, stated that hybrid threats and foreign interference are among the biggest security challenges of the present time, Parliament Office's communication department told TASR on Friday, adding that with the leaders of the Czech Republic and Austria, Ziga also discussed the enlargement of the European Union.

As part of the agenda of the meeting, a joint meeting was held in an extended format with the participation of representatives of Croatia, Slovenia and Italy.

"Foreign interference, especially in decision-making processes, poses a threat not only to security, but also to sovereignty and democracy as such," said Ziga.

The leaders also discussed EU enlargement, particularly in the context of the Balkan countries. "The enlargement of the European Union must be credible and fair, with clearly defined criteria for entry," he stressed, adding that it's important to maintain uniform standards in the accession process of countries.

Source: TASR