Secretary General thanks Hungary for its firm commitment to NATO
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had talks in Budapest on Thursday (23 March) with the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán. The two leaders discussed the current security situation and the Secretary General thanked the Prime Minister for Hungary’s significant contributions to NATO’s collective defence.
Later this year Hungarian troops will deploy to the Baltics as part of NATO’s Forward Presence in the eastern part of the Alliance. Hungary is also one of the largest contributors to NATO’s KFOR peace keeping mission in Kosovo and in Afghanistan, Hungarian forces have also served as part of NATO’s Resolute Support Mission. The mission is to train, assist and advise the Afghan security forces to ensure the country never again becomes a safe haven for international terrorists.
The Secretary General thanked the Prime Minister for Hungary’s commitment to increased defence spending. Since 2014, Hungary has stopped the cuts in defence spending and has increased it in real terms. Mr. Stoltenberg and Mr. Orbán also discussed preparations for the meeting of Allied leaders in Brussels on 25 May.
During his visit the Secretary General also met with the Hungarian Minister of Defence, István Simicskó.