Defence Minister: Hungarian soldiers have earned respect in EUFOR Althea mission
Soldiers operating under the Hungarian command of EUFOR Althea have earned international respect, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, said on Monday, noting that a Hungarian took over the leadership of the European Union’s EUFOR Althea peacekeeping force in Bosnia-Herzegovina in January 2024.
Major General László Sticz commanded the soldiers of 24 nations and a large Hungarian contingent there, the minister noted at the defence ministry’s Balna centre in Budapest at a ceremony marking the end of Hungary’s command of the EUFOR Althea mission. He added that the Western Balkans was “perhaps the most important region” in terms of Hungarian security interests. Szalay-Bobrovniczky noted the once-war-torn region is still burdened by ethnic, religious, economic and political tensions. Stability in the region, he added, was a key issue for Hungary.
As well as their role in ensuring the region’s stability since the end of the Yugoslav wars, Hungarian service personnel have undertaken humanitarian, infrastructure development and flood protection work as part of various missions. He referred to Sticz and his troops as “completely impartial, reliable, predictable, precise and determined” allies and partners in the region. From May, a Hungarian senior officer will take over as the EUFOR Althea mission’s chief of staff, he noted, while from March 2026, a Hungarian will hold the position of deputy commander.
As we wrote last week, Hungary hands one million dollars to Lebanon army instead of financing arms shipments to Ukraine, details HERE
Congratulations to the Hungarian soldiers. It is a waste of time deploying people to artificially created countries. When US and UK create countries, it usually ends up uniting two ethnic communities that hated each other for centuries. Bosnia-Herzegovina will never be a homogenous nation.