Hungarian army chief of staff Böröndi visited Hungarian troops serving in Lebanon

Hungarian soldiers serving abroad deserve recognition for performing their duties successfully, while Hungary is committed to maintaining its contribution to the UN peacekeeping missions in the future, Chief of Staff Colonel General Gábor Böröndi said after being briefed on the security situation in Cyprus and Lebanon by the army’s commander, Zoltán Kaszab.

Böröndi, who served in Cyprus in 1997-98, said Hungarian soldiers were serving in an exemplary way at UN headquarters in Nicosia and were making a big contribution towards ensuring the conflict moved towards a resolution, “though this takes time”, according to a ministry statement.

Meanwhile, at the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, Lebanon, the Hungarian chief of staff met Hungarian commanders.

Böröndi and Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky. Illustration. Photo: MTI

He noted that Hungarian soldiers had recently spent more than 600 hours in a shelter in Lebanon, “a sign of quite how dangerous the place they are serving in is”, adding that morale was good and the soldiers appreciated the care of their superiors and the gifts, including packages sent by their loved ones, that have been sent to them ahead of the upcoming holidays.

The soldiers serving in Lebanon deserved special respect, he said, noting they were working in “an extremely complex and challenging environment” in the midst of the armed conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which is currently subject to a ceasefire.

Böröndi also talked with the Lebanese army chief, Lieutenant General Joseph Aoun. The Hungarian Defence Forces have been participating in the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) since 2006, mainly seeing to patrols and guard duties.

Illustration. Photo: MTI

Hungarian servicemen have also taken part in the UN Cyprus mission (UNFICYP) since 1993.

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Featured image: illustration