Defense Minister Tibor Benkő has confirmed that Hungary is serious about raising its defense budget and is doing everything it can to ensure that it fulfils NATO targets in this area.
Minister Benkő participated in a two-day ministerial meeting of NATO member states in which general agreement was expressed on the need to further strengthen the alliance, including in the area of combatting terrorism.
The Minister said that whereas Hungary’s security situation could be said to be stable, the country intersected with eastern and southern potential flashpoints. The stability of the Western Balkans is vitally important to Hungary in this respect.
Regarding pledges to increase defense spending to 2 percent of GDP by 2024, Minister Benkő said Hungary was on course to meet the deadline as well as its commitment to spend 20 percent of its spending on military developments. “A strong Hungary with a strong army serves the security of NATO and the region,” he said.
The Minister also noted that Hungary is raising the number of troops involved in peacekeeping and various other missions. Also, Hungary and Croatia are setting up a joint division to serve the region’s security interests, he added.
Photo credit: hir.ma