Defence minister: Hungarian soldiers stand ground in crises

Budapest, January 2 (MTI) – Hungarian soldiers have “proved in recent crisis situations that they can hold their ground and serve the homeland,” the defence minister said, adding that the military deserves further support.

Interviewed by MTI, Istvan Simicsko said that Hungarian soldiers had worked hard building an iron fence along sections of the southern borders, and have patrolled the borders and several cities since the migrant crisis started. They have also done well in NATO exercises and in international missions including ones in Afghanistan, Iraq, Cyprus or the Western Balkans.

In light of the migrant crisis and a threat of terrorism the military “needs to assess its activities so far and find ways to further strengthen the country’s security,” the minister said. He added that the ministry’s structure needs also to be reviewed as “what we need is fast decision making and fast implementation”.

Simicsko said that new legislation could also be necessary to “empower soldiers to manage terrorist situations in peace times”, and added that he would consult experts of the parliamentary parties on the subject.