Hungary has returned to the path it left a few years ago

Speaking to Hungarian journalists following the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence, the Hungarian Minister of Defence remarked that “we, Hungarians have received an exceptionally warm welcome; it is good to be a Hungarian again here at the NATO Headquarters.”

Referring to the results of the ministerial meeting that prepared the NATO Summit scheduled to take place in Ankara on July 7–8, Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi emphasized that NATO continues to understand what needs to be done to preserve peace and security in the North Atlantic region.

He said he was honored to have the opportunity to personally discuss with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte what Hungary intends to do in the future and how it intends to do that. He emphasized that: “I told them that we have returned.” Hungary’s long-standing strategy has been “in together, out together” with the Alliance, and our allies can count on us in the future, too. According to the Minister of Defence, the NATO Secretary General was very pleased to hear him say that.

Defence Minister Dr. Ruszin-Szendi said that during the day he had held several bilateral discussions with his counterparts. On these occasions, he further strengthened Hungary’s international relations. The essence of these discussions, as he noted, was “to find common ground not only among service members but also at the political level.”

He said that he held further discussions on how to implement cooperation within the defence sector and how service members can support one another’s training programs to ensure that they are capable of defending the North Atlantic region and, within it, Hungary as well.

The Minister of Defence emphasized that Hungary has contributed and will continue to contribute to all these objectives to the best of its abilities. He highlighted that NATO’s largest land operation and the European Union’s largest land operation were both led by Hungarian generals. Our allies have not forgotten these achievements, he said. Hungarian troops have demonstrated that they can be counted on, not only in the execution of tasks but also in leadership positions.

“Hungarian troops and Hungary have always accomplished all their military tasks and will continue to do so” – he stated.

The Minister of Defence also addressed the Allies’ commitment to increase their defence spending to 5 percent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2035. As he explained, this requires the further development of defence industry throughout the region. For this reason, the cooperation that Hungary has now resumed is of particular importance, Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi emphasized.

He added that Hungary’s defence industry had experienced significant growth for a period before much of it was outsourced into a single company, which the Hungarian government “is now attempting to reintegrate”. He added that Hungary will meet its commitment regarding defence expenditures.

Finally, Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi stressed that after the ministerial meeting, “we do not start making phone calls to high-ranking representatives of countries that are not members of this Alliance.”

“Hungarian service members can always be counted on, anywhere”

During his visit, Defence Minister Dr. Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi also met with some of the Hungarian personnel serving in Belgium. The Minister briefed those present on the changes affecting the Hungarian Defence Forces and on future plans, and then sincerely answered their questions.

“I am proud of Hungarian service members. They can always be counted on, anywhere,” wrote Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi about the visit on his social media page.