The defense minister has confirmed that Hungary "resolutely supports" measures to boost the European Union’s security and defense capabilities.
After meeting his EU counterparts on Tuesday, Defense Minister Tibor Benkő said supporting greater defense capabilities will not undermine NATO but rather strengthen the alliance.
The minister highlighted the importance of cooperation between the two organizations in areas such as combatting illegal migration, building security capacities in the Western Balkans, and fighting terrorism and hybrid threats. He argued that far more attention should be paid to threats emanating from the south and to security in the Western Balkans.
Minister Benkő noted that managing mass migration and preventing terrorist threats are top Hungarian priorities. He said several ministers expressed concern about EU missions, especially its training mission in Mali. Hungary will increase its troop numbers in Mali from 7 to 21 this year.
According to MTI, a number of new projects were adopted in regards to the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) on defense focusing on training in areas such as cyber, diving, tactical, health, and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRND), while others concern enhancing cooperation and developing marine, aerospace and space capabilities.
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