Hungary’s defense minister said intensifying European defense cooperation and ensuring the EU remains a global player in security and defense is now more important than ever.
Speaking at an informal meeting of EU counterparts in Zagreb on Thursday, Tibor Benkő highlighted the importance of European Union cooperation on illegal migration and hybrid warfare.
According to MTI, Minister Benkő told the meeting that Hungary supports EU strategic autonomy and cooperation with its partners.
“We must be capable of handling the challenges and crises in our neighborhood,” the minister said, adding that a commitment to developing a “strategic direction” would aid reaching a common European understanding of security challenges as well as developing common responses.
Minister Benkő said unstable regions around the EU, especially the Western Balkans and Africa, should receive special attention and aid.
Regarding the migration situation at the Greek borders, Benkő assured the most severely affected countries — Greece, Bulgaria and Cyprus — of Hungary’s solidarity.
During the meeting, agreements on joint military operations, joint capability development and an MoU on setting up a Central European Division Headquarters were finalized.