On Monday, 18 November, Defence Minister Tibor Benkő received Siegfried Peinen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium accredited to Budapest as part of an introductory visit.

At the meeting, the Minister said in September 2019 Hungary re-opened its attaché office in Brussels after 10 years, thereby highlighting the importance of Belgium. The Minister stressed that the old-new Brussels attaché office, too, must take part in strengthening the international relations of the Hungarian Defence Forces.

Mr Benkő pointed out that the close cooperation of international organisations and the complementary use of their tools are a strategic need in order to enable the European Union to manage today’s complex security challenges.

The Minister confirmed that Hungary wishes to take part in the fulfilment of NATO responsibilities as a good ally. The parties agreed that, in addition to solidarity and cohesion, the shared bearing of burdens is also of the utmost importance within NATO. Mr Benkő spoke about the contribution of Hungarian military personnel to peacekeeping missions: Hungary is present in missions with a personnel of some 2,000. Stability in the Western Balkans region continues to remain a top priority for Hungary. It is also important that Hungary supports Serbia’s integration, facilitating its accession to the European Union.

The Defence Minister briefly informed the ambassador about the main directions of the Defence and Armed Forces Development Programme, observing that with these developments Hungary seeks to support the reinforcement of independent European defence capabilities.

As part of the meeting, at Ambassador Peinen’s request, Mr Benkő briefly updated the ambassador about the differences between Hungary and Ukraine, and the status of relations.

(MTI)