Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia and Slovenia have signed a letter of intent to create a Regional Special Operations Component Command (R-SOCC) in Hungary.
During a visit to Brussels, Defense Minister Tibor Benkő said the command will start operations in 2021 and will be at full capacity by 2024.
The defense minister made the announcement at NATO’s headquarters, where he attended a two-day meeting of the member states’ defense ministers. Austria, which is not a member of NATO, is expected to join the agreement.
Benkő said the command will contribute to NATO’s collective security by tackling “challenges from the east and south”. One focus will be the Western Balkans. The stability and security of the region is of primary importance to Hungary, he said.
The minister revealed that Hungary has started upgrading its defense system, which will also strengthen the Alliance. Hungary will also raise the number of its troops on NATO missions by 200 to 1,200.