Hungary to Participate in NATO’s Baltic Air Policing Tasks

Hungary, as a loyal and reliable ally, is making a major contribution to the development of NATO’s defense capabilities, that is much needed in the current new era of global politics, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in Brussels on Monday.

According to the ministry’s statement, following a working breakfast with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the politician said that a completely new world political era has begun, in which it is important to return to the original ambitions of the North Atlantic Alliance, i.e. to make the military organization the strongest defense alliance in the world.

In this context, he recalled that this year will be the third year in a row that Hungary will spend more than two percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defense. “We have to see that this is not entirely natural, as there are still eight member states – a quarter of the allies – that have not managed to reach this two percent level,” he pointed out.

Mr Szijjártó noted that

Hungary is currently second only to Poland among NATO countries in spending almost half of its defense budget on development.

The Minister also pointed out that the multi-national division headquarters to be deployed in Hungary to reinforce NATO’s eastern wing will reach full operational capability next week. He added that the number of Hungarian soldiers participating in the Alliance’s operations worldwide already exceeds 1,000.

He then announced that, building on previous successful engagements,

the government had accepted the invitation for the Hungarian Air Force to participate in NATO’s Baltic air policing tasks this year.

“Thus, the Hungarian Air Force will again be deployed to Lithuania for four months with about 80-90 soldiers, two fighters and two reserve aircraft, where we will participate in the Baltic air defense tasks from the summer months until the end of autumn.

“Hungary is therefore a reliable ally, an ally that contributes greatly to the development of NATO’s defense capabilities, because in this new global political era NATO must function as a strong defense alliance,” the Minister concluded.

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