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Swedish-Hungarian economic, defence cooperation thriving, says Minister Szijjártó
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Hungarian-Swedish cooperation has been especially successful in the economy and defence sectors, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Tuesday, after talks with his Swedish counterpart Ann Linde.
Szijjártó told a subsequent press conference that trade between the two states surpassed 2 billion euros last year, and is showing a 32 percent growth in 2021. The 225 Swedish companies operating in Hungary employ some 15,000 people, and invest more and more into research and development, he added.
During the coronavirus pandemic, five Swedish companies invested some 7 billion forints (EUR 19.2m) and preserved 4,300 jobs in Hungary, while participating in the government’s economy protection action plan, Szijjártó said.
As both countries are members of the European Union and Sweden developed close cooperation with NATO, “it is not an exaggeration to call that country an ally of Hungary,” he said.
Regarding defence cooperation, Szijjártó noted that
Hungary was using Gripen aircraft for its own air defence and to aid the Baltic states and Slovenia.
Meanwhile, 23 Swedish troops are serving in an international cargo unit in Hungary, he added.
Linde’s visit is the first by a Swedish foreign minister to Hungary in nine years, Szijjártó noted. Bilateral talks are especially important since the two governments see certain issues differently, he said.
Sweden is currently giving the presidency of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and Hungary will take over that of the Council of Europe (CoE) next month, Szijjártó said. The two positions will be especially important “at a time when tensions are growing between the East and the West,” he said.
Strategically and tactically the Swedes have different force needs and tactics than those of Hungary. Territiorial integrity of Sweden is easier to defend and more difficult to move from the mainland of Europe. Hungary has always been a route to and through the heart of Europe. However, Swedish small unit training and coordination is something the Hungarians could take advantage of. Especially the deployment of TOW type rockets to neutralize or significantly brunt armor and armored mechanized vehicles and artillery. Small units can use them as a force multiplier and they would be very difficult for mass deployment to deal with. Hungary could make any attacker bleed on the Hungarian plains with small unit tactics.