Partnership is the most important

In his speech, the deputy minister of defence pointed out that “the international security situation is steadily growing more and more tense and more and more complex. The global and Euro-Atlantic strategic environment is unpredictable and can be characterized by persistent instability.”

“The Hungarian government’s constitutional duty is to guarantee the security of our country. For this reason, we will do everything on our part to preserve peace and prevent us from being drawn into the war” – declared the state secretary.

Tamás Vargha said that “Hungary is committed and dedicated to shoulder its fair share of burden. It has significantly increased its defence spending, reaching 2 percent of the GDP already in 2023. Furthermore, at the Hague Summit Hungary supported a proposal to further increase defence spending. The Hungarian government aims to increase defence spending to 5 percent of the GDP by 2034. The first steps have already been taken in planning a sustainable and feasible path in order to fulfil this pledge.”

“We will continue to modernize our military capabilities and actively contribute our forces to NATO missions and international operations of strategic importance, such as for example the Baltic Air Policing and the KFOR mission in Kosovo” – said the state secretary, also emphasizing that “as for bilateral military cooperation, we have completed a busy and successful year full of meaningful and forward-looking meetings with our allied counterparts and other partners.”

Speaking about the relationship with the defence attachés, Tamás Vargha pointed out to them that “you are one of Hungary’s vital connections to your countries, to your nations […] I also ask you to continue to assist our bilateral ties with your nations in the new year as well”.

“However, it is clear to all of us that our work has not been completed. Now, that we have entered the new year, our efforts must, and will, continue. I hope, and I wish, that in 2026, we can finally leave behind the darkness of war in our neighborhood, and arrive in the light of peace and prosperity. We need fruitful multilateral and bilateral cooperation, because we continue to rely on our partners within the defence sphere. Partnerships, indeed, are indispensable in order to reach our national and joint defence- and security-related goals” – said the deputy minister of defence.

In his answer, Lieutenant Colonel Stefan Fredriksson, Defence Attaché of the Kingdom of Sweden, doyen of the Budapest Military Attaché Corps emphasized the insecurity of the international situation.

“We all know that we are living in a difficult time. This is why our work together is so important, as the deputy minister already mentioned. Openness and cooperation are the key to keep our countries safe. By letting us see your work, and talking to us honestly, you help us build real trust between our countries, and help us to provide our capitals with an accurate picture of the efforts of the Hungarian Defence Forces. We value the fact that you treat us as partners in this effort”.

Besides the 28 defence attachés and deputies, also in attendance at the reception were Lieutenant General Ferenc Kajári, Deputy Chief, HDF Defence Staff; Major General Zoltán Somogyi, Director of Staff, HDF Defence Staff; Major General Tibor Králik, Commander, Headquarters Multinational Division Centre (HQ MND-C); Brigadier General Dr. Jens Diehm, Director, NATO Centre of Excellence for Military Medicine (MILMED CoE) as well as the personnel of the MoD Department for International Cooperation.