Current security challenges in focus – Top NATO military leaders meet in Brussels

High on the agenda of the two-day meeting were considerations concerning strategic defence and the deterrence posture, as well as issues of strategic innovation and adaptation. The chiefs of defence reviewed NATO’s partnership cooperation, and then held a closed-door session to assess the military-level workings of the Alliance and the current challenges.

In the spirit of strengthening NATO’s global system of relations, the chiefs of defence engaged with the Indo-Pacific partner countries of the Alliance and the military leaders of Georgia, shedding light on the strategic role of partnerships in addressing the interrelated and continuously changing global security challenges.

The session of the Military Committee provided General Dr. Gábor Böröndi with the opportunity to hold bilateral discussions with his French, Croatian, North Macedonian and Georgian partners. The agenda of these meetings included the possibilities for further successful cooperation as well as for conducting joint training programs and exchanging professional lessons learned.

At these meetings, General Böröndi emphasized that Hungary and the Hungarian Defence Forces are a committed, reliable and active member of NATO, and ready to contribute to the collective defence of the Alliance. Besides fulfilling allied commitments, our country continuously develops its military capabilities, strengthens its interoperability and actively participates in NATO-led operations, foreign missions and joint initiatives.

Speaking at the joint press conference closing the MC session, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Chair, NATO Military Committee pointed out that they had concluded that the Alliance is united, resilient and dynamic. Although debates occur sometimes, there is a clear and unanimous harmony in the assessment of military threats to NATO and the main directions. The Alliance is adapting, absorbing shocks and learning fast, so it is ready to face challenges in this demanding environment.

“The Alliance is dynamic, not static; we are adapting, because we must, in order to deliver on our core tasks” – said the Admiral.

The participants of the Military Committee in Chiefs of Defence session jointly called attention of the citizens of the Alliance to the fact that “security involves everyone. It is not only a matter for politicians, or for the military of the 32 Allies and this Committee that represents them. It concerns every family, every community, and every workplace. That is why we need not only support, but real engagement from the more than a billion people we are committed to defend.”

On Friday, the NATO Allied Command Transformation (NATO ACT) convened Chiefs of Defence and senior NATO leaders, including the Chief of the HDF Defence Staff, in a separate meeting. The participants of the session discussed issues of capability development, bringing innovation and adaptation to the fore. The agenda also included the significance of multidomain operations as well as the role of civil-military cooperation in modern warfare.

During his three-day trip, General Dr. Gábor Böröndi met with the soldiers of the Hungarian Defence Forces on foreign service in Brussels. Besides answering their questions, he informed the personnel about the military development program in Hungary, the current changes in organizational functioning, issues concerning salaries and the tasks ahead of them.