Hungary is a major contributor to NATO’s collective security, says the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee

14:16 15/7/2020 - Πηγή: Armynow

On 10-11 July 2020, the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach was in Hungary to meet the Minister of Defence, H.E. Tibor Benkő, the Chief of Defence, General Ferenc Korom and other high-ranking officials.

He also visited the NATO Centre of Excellence for Military Medicine and the Border Guard Base in Hercegszántó.

The Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach started his Hungarian visit by laying a wreath at the base of the monument in the Heroes Square in Budapest. He was then escorted to the Hungarian Defence Forces Command for a meeting with the Chief of Defence, General Ferenc Korom. Air Chief Marshal Peach commended General Korom for the numerous contributions Hungary provides to NATO. “Hungary is one of the largest troop contributor to our KFOR mission and is also extremely active in our Resolute Support Mission, exemplifying what it means to be an Ally by actively contributing to our shared security”, highlighted the Chairman.

In his meeting with H.E. Mr. Tibor Benkő, the Minister of Defence, Air Chief Marshal welcomed the recent announcement that Hungary plans to continue to increase its defence spending in 2021 and that 25-30 percent of the funds will be spent on upgrades. “Continued investment in capabilities, such as Hungary has demonstrated by purchasing Leopard battle tanks, allows us to keep our people safe in a more unpredictable world”, added Air Chief Marshal Peach. He also met with H.E. Mr. Péter Sztáray, Secretary of State for Security Policy at Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and H.E. Mr. Zsolt Németh, the President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

In the afternoon, the delegation headed to the NATO Centre of Excellence for Military Medicine hosted by the head of the organisation Brigadier General Dr. Dirk-Friedrich Klagges. Accredited in 2015, the Centre of Excellence is a key part in NATO’s continuous adaptation; it is responsible for education, training, interoperability and lessons identified in the medical field. “Amidst a pandemic like COVID-19 which is testing our resilience, entities like this centre of excellence play an important role to ensure that NATO and Allies are better prepared for the next crisis, that we have the right resources at the right moment to ensure we can help save lives when and as required”, emphasised the Chairman.

On Saturday morning, Air Chief Marshal Peach visited the Border Guard Base in Hercegszántó where he was able to tour the facilities, inspect the equipment and receive a briefing on the Battalion’s tasks and duties.

Source: nato.int

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