Minister of Defence Dr. Tibor Benkő received Finland’s Ambassador to Budapest Markku Virri in his office on Monday, 15 July. Finland is taking over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Romania from 1 July, and its priority tasks include issues relating to security and defence policy.

The goal of the visit was for the Finnish Ambassador to provide a briefing on the priorities of the new EU Presidency. During the meeting, it became clear that Hungary’s defence policy targets are in harmony with the programme of the Finnish Presidency.

The Hungarian Defence Minister highlighted the fact that NATO-EU cooperation and one of its flagships, the military mobility project, are extremely important tasks, and emphasised the importance of reinforcing relations between the two organisations.

He pointed out that Hungary remains a supporter and active participant of international PESCO (Permanent Structured Cooperation) projects that reinforce Europe’s defence capabilities. The role of the European Defence Fund, which funds the expansion of the capacity of the European Union’s defence industry and technological development projects, is also highly significant within this field, he added. The Minister also said that amidst new kinds of defence challenges, extreme attention must also be paid to the various forms of hybrid warfare and their handling. In the interests of closer cooperation, the Ministry of Defence has begun negotiations on joining the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats in Helsinki, which could also have a favourable effect on military cooperation with Finland.

During the courtesy visit, the parties also discussed the need to handle the migration pressure that is weighing down on Europe. Mr. Benkő highlighted: “It is Hungary’s firm belief that the Schengen borders must perform their function and must protect Europe. The crises that are generating migration must be handled on site, and the Hungarian Defence Force is also undertaking its share of the tasks that serve this goal. Hungary is located at the intersection of eastern and southern threats, as a result of which we are simultaneously experiencing both hybrid threats and the challenges that are appearing from the south. Hungary is committed to searching jointly with its European partners for solutions that make defence methods more efficient”.

At the meeting, the Minister informed the Finnish Ambassador that via the implementation of the Zrinyi 2026 Defence Force and Military Development Programme, Hungary will, in the upcoming years, be realising its most significant military development of the past 20 years. The goal of the military development is not simply to improve the country’s military capabilities, but also to preserve national self-sufficiency, including with relation to technological development projects and the creation of workplaces, he explained.

Accordingly, Hungary and the Hungarian people are at the focus of the Zrinyi 2026 programme, but parallel to this the programme is also supporting the development of European defence capabilities, Mr. Benkő stated.

(Ministry of Defence/MTI)