Minister Naď: Defence cooperation between Slovakia and Hungary sets an example in many areas

In an official welcome ceremony with full military honours, Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď welcomed Hungarian Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky to the Ministry of Defence in Bratislava on Monday 26 September 2022. Their conversation revolved around issues relating to a further deepening of SVK-HUN defence engagement in different areas. This marked the first time Defence Minister Szalay-Bobrovniczky has visited Slovakia since taking up the role.

Speaking at a press conference after the bilateral meeting, Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “Defence cooperation between the Slovak Republic and Hungary has been excellent. That is why we will be seeking additional forms of cooperation bilaterally and more broadly, for example, as part of the Visegrád Four (V4).“ Minister Naď added that the discussion on Hungary teaming up with Poland and the Czech Republic to protect SVK airspace will continue between both sides.

Among other security & defence themes, the leaders discussed the NATO battlegroups that stood up in Slovakia and Hungary as the Alliance's response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the current trans-Atlantic processes, and the security developments in the Western Balkans – a key security region in the context of European security.

On the nations' defence engagement, Minister Naď and Minister Szalay-Bobrovniczky lauded cooperation between Slovakia and Hungary on international crisis management operations as well as on joint military training and education activities. According to them, there is still potential to be explored in the modernisation of the Slovak and Hungarian Armed Forces, which is to be approached as a mutually beneficial collaboration between the SVK and HUN defence industries.

Hungarian Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said: “The Hungarian and Slovak Armed Forces are undergoing modernisation. In doing so, they are making progress despite the global economic crisis. In the future, we will seek opportunities to cooperate together in this area too.“ Against the backdrop of the Slovak V4 Presidency, he expressed his appreciation for Slovakia's activities and initiatives in the Visegrád Group.