“The performance of Hungary in NATO is notably good”, this is how Minister of Defence Csaba Hende summed up his position in an interview given to Hungarian News Agency MTI after the meetings of NATO Ministers of Defence.

The politician said that “halfway” between the Wales Summit held in last September and next year’s Warsaw Summit, the participants of the meetings had assessed the implementation of decisions made in Wales. Minister Hende stated that the security environment is determined by challenges from the East and the South simultaneously, and the Alliance must be prepared for responding to these challenges from all directions.

The Minister told MTI that a decision had been made about doubling the strength of the NATO Response Force (NRF), and the setting up of NATO Force Integration Units (NFIUs) has started in eastern member states. According to plans, Hungary will host an NFIU to help and accelerate the movement and reception of NATO forces. In addition, the defence ministers made decisions about boosting political and military decision-making processes, and discussed the defence budgets.

Minister Hende noted that Hungary has increased its defence spending by over 8 per cent this year, and is aiming for a further 22 per cent increase next year, which means around HUF 50 billion. The Minister stated that Hungary is a significant contributor to NATO-led operations and ranks among the firsts in terms of operational expenditures. Furthermore, it is ranked high with respect to manning the command structures, and will fill its quotas during this summer. Besides, Hungary is the first European NATO member state to have sent troops to the Baltic states for an extended period of time, and ranks among the top contributors in the reinforcement of land force capabilities.

“Hungary’s performance within NATO is notably good”, the Minister stated, referring to the fact that Hungary is among those countries which spend their resources effectively. “If you have much money, it is easy to achieve good results, but it is much more difficult to do so if you have little money”, Minister Hende emphasized.

The Minister said that NATO is on the right track. It has drawn the proper conclusions from the war in Ukraine, and is preparing for the Warsaw Summit as a more agile and stronger alliance. He also told MTI that NATO’s approach should be dominated by two pairs of ideas: defence and dialogue along with force and balance, which means that it should conduct dialogue with everyone in the interest of peace, and should show force while upholding balance.

On Thursday, the NATO defence ministers had discussions with Ukraine’s defence minister on the implementation of the Minsk agreements and further support for Ukraine. Speaking about these topics, Minister Hende stressed that Hungary will continue to support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and its right to decide on its own geopolitical orientation. He emphasized that he was firmly convinced that there is no military solution to the conflict, adding that long-term stability could only be established through responsible dialogue, comprehensive reforms and respect of human rights, including the rights of national and ethnic minorities, especially those of the Hungarian community. The Minister told MTI that Hungary continues to support Ukraine with providing treatment for the injured in the Military Hospital, and in the future, a doctor colonel will also help the transformation of the system of military medicine in Ukraine. 

The defence ministers of NATO countries had discussions with representatives of the Afghan government. Minister Hende said that NATO is committed to continue with the ongoing “Resolute Support Mission” until the end of 2016. “The Afghan security sector is developing, the military and the police forces fight successfully in combat situations, and the support provided by NATO will be needed in the coming years too”, the Minister underlined, adding that obviously, Afghanistan cannot be left on its own.

Besides, the Minister awarded the “For the Alliance” medal to the outgoing NATO Director of Policy Planning for his role in the reform of the Hungarian armed forces. Minister Hende also signed an agreement on the establishment of a joint multinational air training center. According to plans, the participating countries – the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Croatia – will set up the center in the Czech Republic and will receive support from the United States in the training of helicopter pilots and experts. Furthermore, the Minister also signed a memorandum of understanding on the airlift of Special Forces.

Minister Hende told MTI about his bilateral meetings too, as he conducted discussions with the Canadian and Bosnian defence ministers. The latter thanked Hungary for supporting the European and Euro-Atlantic integration efforts of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Minister Hende said.

(Ministry of Defence)