Infrastructure and technological developments are expected at Kiskemet Air Base and the Papal Base Airport. Hungary and the United States signed the document on Friday.
Minister Tibor Papus and Charles R. Miller, Director of the US Headquarters Europe in Kiskemte, at the 59th Zentjorje Deszo Air Force Base in Hungary, presents the relevant framework agreements for the implementation of the Defense Cooperation Agreement between the two countries.
Tibor Papus, Ministerial Commissioner in charge of implementing the Hungarian-US Defense Cooperation Agreement, said the agreement signed in Washington two years ago is an agreement between the two countries that was concluded for the security of the two countries.
He added that the bilateral defense agreement is an appropriate framework to further enhance cooperation and implementation of military developments in Kiskemet, Baba, Varpalota and Tata. The Ministerial Commissioner confirmed this The implementation agreements now signed relate to the joint development of these four sites.He announced that infrastructure and technological developments for the benefit of the Air Force are expected at Kiskemet Air Base and Papal Base Airport, and investments will be made in Varpalota and Tata, primarily to meet the needs of ground units.
Tibor Papus said that since the implementation agreements are framework agreements, more implementation subagreements will be developed in the near future on micro-developments.
The Defense Cooperation Agreement was signed on April 4, 2019 by US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan and Peter Cigarto in Washington, DC. The National Assembly passed the bill by 167 votes, no votes against and no abstentions, and it entered into force on August 22, 2019. The agreement adapts the previous Agreement on the Status of the Armed Forces to the new circumstances.
The Minister stressed that the bilateral agreement is in line with Hungary’s commitments in NATO and will help it fulfill them. This included a defense budget of 2% of GDP, meeting NATO expectations for enhanced preparedness and legal arrangements for regular exercises. The United States recently concluded this type of defense cooperation agreement with the three Baltic states, preceded by Poland, Romania and Bulgaria.
