Peace requires strength, and strength requires a modern, effective army
Peace requires strength, and today, strength requires a 21st century, modern and effective army – the Minister of Defence said in Szentendre on Saturday, at the public Oath of Enlistment Ceremony of the participants of the basic training programme. The ceremony was also attended by President of Hungary Katalin Novák.
Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky stressed: this Saturday is another milestone in the history of the development of the Hungarian Defence Forces.
"Over the past month, our troops acquired knowledge and skills that enable them to defend their motherland and perform a responsibility that appreciated in value for the whole nation over the last year" – he said.
He added that it was a year ago that the war in Ukraine broke out, and that a war always changes everything.
"The moment may come when we will have to defend our motherland, culture, traditions, families, and especially our future, and we must do everything in our power to this end" – he stressed.
Our goal is to defend Hungary, to provide every Hungarian with the most fundamental value, i.e. peace and security – he underlined.
The Minister pointed out that they are building new armed forced for Hungary; which will be high-tech, modern and digital, and for this they need the digital generation.
The Hungarian Defence Forces is the community of the brave, a community of patriotic, committed youth with a clear mind, and "we are looking forward to the arrival of Hungarian youth like you in this community" – Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky addressed those present.
At the NCO Academy of the Hungarian Defence Forces, 165 people took their ceremonial oath of enlistment, including the spouse of the President of Hungary, István Veres.
Speaking to television channel M1, Katalin Novák said she believes in the strength of the Hungarian Defence Forces, and that one year after the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, everyone can feel that we have a need for our soldiers.
"Every Hungarian can feel how much we need the solidarity, strength and patriotism of our troops " – she highlighted.
She added, that for her, this is what the current swear-in is about: "troops who love their mother country and are prepared to defend it at the cost of their lives have taken the oath now".
The President of Hungary hopes that many will choose the volunteer reservist service in addition to their conventional profession, because this is also a means, an opportunity to defend their families and their mother country if we are in trouble and taking up arms becomes necessary.
Lieutenant General Romolusz Ruszin-Szendi, the Chief-of-Staff of the Hungarian Defence Forces, thanked the attendees who undertook to defend Hungary by arms if necessary. He also thanked their family members who -as he said – dared to trust their sons, daughters and loved ones to their care, because they knew that at the Hungarian Defence Forces "they would be in good hands now".
The newly sworn-in began their basic training on 16 January.
Following the Oath of Enlistment Ceremony, President of Hungary Katalin Novák and Minister Szalay-Bobrovniczky Kristóf handed over to Lieutenant Colonel Tamás Durgó, Commander of the Military Administrative and Central Registry Command of the Hungarian Defence Forces, the key to one of the ten Iveco buses of which the command in charge of recruitment will receive a total of 21 in the course of the year.
The vehicles supporting the recruitment process will be used by the command as well as the recruitment offices in the capital and in the counties.