“The United Kingdom plays an important role in preserving the continent’s security”, Minister of Defence Tibor Benkő said on 13 October after receiving the UK’s new Ambassador to Budapest Paul Leonard Fox for an introductory visit.
The parties agreed that the excellent relationship between Hungary and the United Kingdom is being further reinforced by the bilateral defence cooperation agreement concluded last summer in London by Minister of Defence Tibor Benkő and Secretary of State for Defence Penny Mordaunt.
The Minister emphasised that bilateral defence cooperation has received new impetus in the recent period, in which a major role was played by former British Ambassador Iain Lindsay, who actively contributed to deepening relations between the two countries. The Minister and the Ambassador both emphasised that the results achieved to date provide an excellent foundation for the further development of bilateral cooperation.
The Minister informed the Ambassador with relation to Hungary’s security environment and the directions of its defence policy, with particular emphasis on issues relating to the Western Balkans, which are a priority for Hungary, and on the priorities of the Zrínyi 2026 National Defence and Armed Forces Development Program. He also spoke about the fact that the continuation of close cooperation between the EU and the United Kingdom within the field of defence and security is in Hungary’s interests, in view of the fact that the UK plays an important role in preserving the continent’s security. “We hope that the United Kingdom continues to be a nation that contributes significantly to the EU’s crisis management and peacekeeping operations, and particularly maintaining the stability of the Western Balkans”, he added, citing amongst others NATO’s KFOR mission, which Hungary will be leading from November 2021.
During the friendly conversation, the Minister of Defence congratulated Paul Leonard Fox on his new position as Ambassador, and wished him much success towards his high-responsibility post.