Hungary opening defence attache office in Zagreb

Budapest, April 29 (MTI) – Hungary will open a defence attache office in Zagreb to boost security cooperation with Croatia, Hungary’s defence minister announced on Friday. As part of the agreement, Croatia will also send its own defence attache to Budapest.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Croatian counterpart after bilateral talks, István Simicskó said he and Josip Buljevic had discussed Europe’s current security challenges, particularly the migrant crisis. The ministers agreed that the migrant crisis posed a serious security risk for the continent.

Buljevic said boosting defence and overall relations with Hungary was of strategic importance to Croatia.

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó also held talks with the Croatian minister, the foreign ministry said on Friday afternoon. The ministers agreed to further strengthen cooperation in defence, training and education and continue to share tasks under the arrangements of NATO’s “smart defence” scheme. They were in agreement that NATO should be further enlarged to enhance stability in the Western Balkans region.