Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said that importance should be placed on integrating Balkan countries into NATO, arguing that enlargement would be crucial to consolidating peace and stability in the region.
The prime minister made the remarks ahead of a NATO summit in Brussels on Thursday, where he added that “the Balkans is a complicated place and there are tensions."
PM Orbán confirmed that Hungary will meet its obligations by increasing its defense spending to about 2 percent of GDP. The official government Zrínyi 2026 program lasts until 2026, but the prime minister proposed that Hungary will reach the 2 percent target by 2024.
PM Orbán urged NATO members to confirm their commitment to increasing their defense spending and presenting a timetable for spending targets.
The prime minister noted that while several NATO members have already been involved in the international mission against the Islamic State terrorist organization, NATO would officially join the international coalition at the summit.