Hungary’s government must gradually boost defence spending to above 1.3 percent of gross domestic product, Defence Minister Imre Szekeres said in a briefing to lawmakers on Tuesday.
Hungary is currently one of only eight European Union member countries where defence spending is not more than 1.3 percent of GDP, Szekeres told a joint session of parliament’s defence, law enforcement and foreign affairs committees.
Extra spending must be introduced to bring spending to a higher level by 2013, he added.
Hungary’s new defence strategy, prepared with the involvement of independent military experts, outlines the fight against international terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, ecological disasters, migration, organised crime and illegal trading as major future challenges.
Szekeres said co-operation and co-ordinaton between the military and civilians would be a vital new element.
Hungary does is not on an enemy footing with any country and maintains a military force that is able to defend the country and participate in international missions with its allies, he said.
The minister stressed the importance of faster decision-making in army units, and urged them to boost their capabilities in integrating with other the units of other national armies.
