Hungary and Montenegro see the security issues of both the region and the world in a similar light, Defence Minister Tibor Benkő highlighted after his talks with Montenegro’s defence minister in Budapest on Tuesday.
At the press conference of the two politicians, in answer to a question Mr Benkő said they are planning to strengthen military cooperation between the two countries in the fields of training, preparation, education, joint exercises and joint missions.
Another important area is the issue of the security of the Western Balkans region. Mr Benkő observed that Hungary stations the majority of its peacekeeping military personnel in this region. He said it is important that he and his Montenegrin colleague share similar views on what is happening in the countries concerned, and they are determined to solve the problems together. Mr Benkő added that they also agreed that problems must be solved where they emerge: help must be taken where it is needed.
He highlighted that they agreed that the security and stability of the Western Balkans are a particular priority. It is therefore important that the regions of the country join the Euro-Atlantic Zone within the shortest possible time because this, too, strengthens stability. It was in light of this that they supported Montenegro’s NATO accession, and they will do everything they can to enable the Balkans country to become a member of the European Union as soon as possible.
Mr Benkő described the meeting as useful and constructive. He observed that the two countries’ military cooperation has been highly positive also to date. They share a similar view on the importance of military modernisation as well, Mr Benkő said, adding that Montenegro itself is making great efforts to build a strong, modern defence force.
They also spoke about the importance of human resources and the need for attracting young people to the military. Montenegrin Minister of Defence Predrag Boskovic, too, described cooperation between the two countries, in particular cooperation between the two defence ministries and defence forces as excellent. He especially thanked Hungary for its support with Montenegro’s Euro-Atlantic integration. He said Montenegro has a great deal to learn from Hungary, among others, as regards its Euro-Atlantic experience.
The Montenegrin minister highlighted that they agree on a great many things both on a regional and global level. They also spoke about the modernisation of defence forces as both countries are in the process of developing their respective military capabilities. Mr Boskovic said they spoke about the Western Balkans region as a particular priority as both Hungary and Montenegro have a vested interest in there being calm and security in the region. They concluded that there are positive developments in the region, but there are still outstanding issues which can only be resolved jointly.
In answer to a question, he said that in addition to the security of the Western Balkans, they also touched upon the illegal migration situation. He said the number of migrants attempting to transit the territory of Montenegro has increased again recently, and they are expecting to see a further rise in the number of migrants in the near future. He observed it is to be hoped that this time Europe will be more prepared than it was in 2015
The Montenegrin minister said he believes that also in this area there is a lot to be learned from Hungary.