Minister of Defence Dr. István Simicskó Holds Talks at Pentagon

Speaking about the meeting, the minister told Hungarian News Agency MTI that the Hungarian–American military-to-military relations are excellent. He noted that Hungary and the United States participate in about 40 joint exercises a year, and Hungarian soldiers are serving shoulder to shoulder with US troops in crisis zones, so they gain a deep insight into American military culture as well.

Dr. István Simicskó also underlined that since the 1989 change of regime, approx. 2000 Hungarians have graduated from American schools. The Hungarian minister of defence said that there are some new contemporary challenges like terrorism to which the nation states have no effective solution, so these require us to take action jointly, but to do so we also need financial resources. “The officials here in Washington applaud the decision made by the government of Hungary to increase our defence budget year by year", he added.

On Thursday, 13 October Dr. István Simicskó visited Ohio State, because the Ohio National Guard closely cooperates with Hungary. The system of territorial defence is gaining significance in NATO again, and Hungary is planning to reorganize its own system by drawing on the extensive experience of the National Guard of the United States.

After the discussions, the minister opened an exhibition on the 1956 Hungarian Revolution at Pentagon. In his opening speech, Dr. István Simicskó emphasized the courage and patriotism of the heroes of 1956, and thanked the United States for receiving so many brave Hungarians who afterwards became excellent citizens of their new homeland that they were forced to choose. The minister also referred to the ongoing close cooperation between the Hungarian and the US militaries, and the jointly undertaken tasks in crisis zones around the world, pointing out that Hungary and the United States are bound together by the common values of their respect for freedom as well.

At the opening ceremony, speeches were also delivered by Hungarian ambassador to Washington Réka Szemerkényi, US ambassador to Budapest Colleen Bell and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense of the US Department of Defense James Townsend. All three speakers emphasized the historical significance of 1956 and the identical system of values that joins the two countries together.