We needs to underscore the importance and development of a uniform European defence system, says Hungarian minister

Only an EU that has strong defence capabilities will be able to surmount the security challenges it faces and Hungary is ready to take up a role in creating those capabilities, the defence ministry said in a statement on Tuesday .

Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said at an informal meeting of EU defence ministers in Prague that “Hungary supports the creation of a more pro-active European Union, which is able to give a rapid and effective response to security challenges”.

The meeting organised under the Czech EU presidency focused on the global impact of the war in Ukraine, defence and security support provided to Ukraine and measures to develop defence capabilities.

“Hungary can significantly contribute to strengthening Europe’s defence-technological and industrial foundations. The country is currently carrying out one of the largest-scale military upgrade programmes in Eastern Europe,” the ministry quoted Szalay-Bobrovniczky as saying.

“With the war in Ukraine, the world has entered a new era of strategic uncertainty. This new era has resulted in historic steps … such as the enlargement of NATO with Finland and Sweden, as well as several countries’ decision to increase their defence budget,” the minister said. He said the war in Ukraine “has revealed the weaknesses of Europe’s defence capabilities while it has also created an opportunity for intensifying efforts to strengthen regional defence and resilience. The cooperation of the EU and NATO in this endeavour is of critical importance,” the minister told the meeting.

“Since this war is being fought in the European continent, right next door to us, Hungary, we need to underscore the importance and development of a uniform European defence system,” he said.

Szalay-Bobrovniczky said that the war could also trigger further waves of illegal migration, increasing the danger of terrorism and posing an additional security challenge to several countries.

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