military

Hungary offers on-site help for Afghanistan, but welcomes no migrants

Hungary-USA-Afghanistan

The first Hungarian aircraft participating in an evacuation mission from Afghanistan is expected to land in Budapest around midnight, a foreign ministry state secretary said on Sunday.

Levente Magyar said the people arriving on the aircraft, rescued by Hungarian troops, include many Afghans and a significant number of Hungarian and American nationals. He added that “dozens of Americans” are being evacuated from Afghanistan on aircraft the Hungarian Army has deployed for the rescue operation. He declined to reveal further details while the evacuation is underway.

He said the timeframe for the evacuation is “extremely limited”,

adding that the Americans would either call and end to the operation or the Taliban would “change the circumstances of the ceasefire”. Magyar also mentioned “accusations” that Hungary and the Hungarian government had been “insensitive with regard to humanitarian factors”.

He said an extraordinary meeting of NATO ministers of foreign affairs called on Friday at which he participated, filling in for Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, was “completely useless” as

“we can’t do anything to improve the situation in Afghanistan retroactively”.

At this point, he added, “we can only talk about managing the consequences”.

Magyar said it was “unacceptable” that many Afghans eligible for evacuation are reaching the airport after facing the Taliban forces only to be detained by the Americans on the grounds that the airport is full. He said he told the US secretary of state at the NATO videoconference that all means must be used to change the situation.

On Saturday, he said “a trickle” of Hungarians and their Afghan allies were allowed out. Magyar said Hungary is working with the Americans to keep the admission of people into the Kabul airport at an accelerated pace. He predicted “masses of people” from Afghanistan will head towards Europe.

“We can only manage this by offering assistance on site,

first of all by not allowing these people to charge into Europe in an uncoordinated manner,” he added.

European leaders follow Orbán’s example in days of crisis?

migration Hungary government

The migration crisis in 2015 had a more significant impact than many people thought.

The unfortunate events of Afghanistan shocked the whole world this week. Many countries are trying to get their citizens out of the dangerous areas and prepare for refugees to come to Europe.

The previous migration crisis, however, left noticeable traces that have an impact even on the recent decisions made. A technical lock will be placed on the Lithuanian-Belarus border because the Belarusian president threatened Lithuania with illegal migration. The EU had to intervene to make sure that migrants from Bagdad are not taken to Minks to later be transferred to Lithuania, writes 24.hu.

Turkey has an important role as well. If the country wanted to destabilise the EU, this could be easily achieved as it is Turkey that currently stops migrants from further travel, but it could simply let them enter the EU.

No wonder that the situation in Afghanistan raised serious concerns. Refugees are getting sympathy and support from the general public, but some fear that 1 million Afghans will probably come to Europe in hopes of a safer life. The case of Germany and France is interesting in this aspect because the approaching elections might play a part in how politicians will handle the possible issues.

The refugee crisis could affect America, Europe, and even China. A Chinese province where Uyghurs, a Muslim minority, live is actually neighbouring the land which is currently under the rule of the Taliban regime.

To keep things under control, the EU decided to follow the same tactics and plans that the Hungarian prime minister set up back in 2015.  “Most EU leaders are reluctant to be seen with him, but they have adopted almost all the practices and ideas that Orbán invented after the refugee crisis. This, in turn, will massively undermine the EU’s internal credibility,” writes 24.hu.

 

As Daily News Hungary reported, Foreign Ministry State Secretary Levente Magyar said that Hungary would help those Afghans who collaborated with Hungarian troops and whose life could be in mortal danger. These people will be accepted as refugees in Hungary. Helping them, according to Magyar, is a “moral duty”.

Hungarian military rescues 78 from Afghanistan

Hungary-Afghanistan-rescue

Hungary has so far helped 10 families, altogether 78 people, out of Taliban-occupied territories in Afghanistan, Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, the head of the Hungarian military, said at a government presser on Saturday.

He said that the group were now at a safe “operative basis” set up for the purpose near Kabul. Gergely Gulyás, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office, said that the government was committed to bringing back all Hungarians in Afghanistan.

He lambasted NATO’s mission in Afghanistan,

saying that despite huge funds spent on training the Afghan army, local forces “were unable to hold the front against the Taliban even for a single day”. He said that Hungary had joined the Afghanistan mission at the United States’ request 20 years ago, and now pulled out of the country in line with the US government’s decision.

Answering a question, Gulyás said that a great wave of migration should be expected in the wake of the Afghan crisis, but “members of the European Union… are on consensus that the 2015 migration wave must not be allowed to recur, and that this requires cooperation from countries close to Afghanistan”. He said that

“the idea of (mandatory) quotas has again be raised but Hungary made it clear that it would not receive anyone under any EU quota”.

Concerning the rescue operation, Gulyás said that it was aimed at helping Hungarians out of Afghanistan primarily, but “if there are seats left on a Hungarian plane (citizens of) allied countries will also be carried”. He also added that those to be rescued “include translators and helpers of the Hungarian mission but it is a small group rather than thousands”.

Jobbik MEP Gyöngyösi: Thoughts on the aftermath of a huge failure in Afghanistan

Afghan conflict

Remarks from Jobbik MEP Márton Gyöngyösi:

Seeing the media photos on the Afghanistan situation, it’s hard to say anything. After failing in Afghanistan that was occupied by the Taliban within just a few days, the western countries are now fleeing in a chaotic mess, abandoning everything, including the people of Afghanistan.

This is a sad conclusion to a nearly 20-year period and an important lesson for America and Europe. That’s why I think we need to face the reality no matter how hard it is.

We must face the fact that the West, which identifies with tolerance and diversity, has failed to understand Afghanistan’s diversity and culture. Despite the persistent export of western institutions, they failed to build a solid societal base in this country inhabited by so many different peoples and burdened by so much internal tension. Unfortunately, democracies are not built in a day, even in the more underprivileged part of Europe, let alone Central Asia. No matter how the institutions, the army and public order exist on paper, if there aren’t enough people to back them, they collapse. Just as we have witnessed it. It’s a painful lesson to learn.

We must also face the fact that the images of desperate Afghan people trying to get on the last planes fundamentally question the West’s belief in solidarity and its righteousness when it comes to holding itself accountable for the often-advertised ethical norms. Over the past twenty years lots of Afghans cooperated with the missions and the deployed armies of the western countries. Despite all the difficulties, countless Afghans tried to organize their lives in a new political system on the basis of what they learnt from the West. The West has abandoned these people in their time of need, which might even cost their lives. I believe if there ever was an absolutely justified time for western countries to help refugees, it would have been now.

However, they hardly did anything because the tragedy was not taking place on their borders. It was somewhere far, far away.

We must also face the fact that the Taliban has changed over the past 20 years, too: they seem to have realized they had better keep contact with the outside world. Russia and China are getting ready to take control in the vacuum left behind by the western exodus. If necessary, they will recognize the Taliban government. America and Europe lost once again, because they were unable to maintain their dominance while Russia and China appear to be increasing their power even more. This is a terribly disheartening message to those who, often risking their lives in different parts of the world, defy oppressive governments and fight for their freedom in the hope of western help and support to guide their countries to the path of democracy.

The West seems to have failed to live up to its own principles. Not only is this utterly sad, but I’m afraid it poses enormous long-term risks for us, too. If we are unable to protect our principles and guarantee the safety of the people who believe in western values, who will protect us from falling victim to authoritarian regimes? It’s time for the leaders of the western world to think about it. If they truly care, that is…

Hungary Afghanistan rescue
Read alsoHungarian citizens evacuated from Afghanistan

Hungarian citizens evacuated from Afghanistan

Hungary Afghanistan rescue

Hungary’s military allies have evacuated 26 Hungarian citizens from Kabul to Tashkent, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

Foreign ministry state secretary Levente Magyar had said earlier that Hungary would launch an operation in Kabul to evacuate Hungarians and their Afghan helpers.

“After consulting with Hungary, our military allies have flown 26 Hungarian citizens out of Afghanistan,”

the ministry said in a statement.

Magyar had said that Hungary was also prepared to help Afghan citizens who had helped the Hungarian troops in the country, as well as their families. This group, he said, numbers a few hundred people.

“We know who they are, and they are in mortal danger, so it is our moral duty to help them,”

Magyar said.

Magyar said Afghanistan-related tasks are fulfilled by cargo planes starting from the airport in Pápa, western Hungary. The details of the operation are under NATO command and are confidential, he said.

Hungary to launch Afghanistan rescue operation

Hungary-Afghanistan-military-rescue
Hungary will launch an operation in Kabul to evacuate Hungarians and their Afghan helpers, a state secretary of the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
 
The journey home is already ensured for 26 Hungarians who will be “brought back to Europe within the foreseeable future”, Levente Magyar told a press conference. “The number of Hungarians the foreign ministry knows to be currently in Afghanistan is so small they can all be fitted into a single airplane,” he added.
 
Besides Hungarians, the government is also ready to help Afghan citizens who had helped the Hungarian troops in the country,
as well as their families, “a few hundred people … we know who they are, and they are in mortal danger, it is our moral duty to help them,” he said.

At the same time,
“it is out of the question” that Hungary should participate in a “general redistribution” of Afghan refugees
and accept them into the country, he said.
 
 
In the wake of the allied forces’ “irresponsible withdrawal” from Afghanistan, millions of Afghans could leave their homeland, Magyar warned. Hungary will not yield to migration pressure and will keep its southern borders closed, he said.

 The allied forces led by the United States have “found themselves in a humiliating, hitherto unimmaginable situation,” Magyar said. After a twenty-year confict claiming 250,000 lives, it is now “up to the goodwill of the Taliban whether they can rescue their own citizens and the Afghans helping them,” he said.
 
Magyar called a recent meeting of European Union foreign ministers on the situation “disappointing”.
“Although Europe could have made a serious impact on the events, it merely watches paralysed and issues lamenting statements on the infringement on human rights,” he said.

 Regarding details of the operation, Magyar said Afghanistan-related tasks are fulfilled by cargo planes starting from the airport in Papa, western Hungary. The details of the operation are under NATO command and are confidential, he said.
 

Romanian woman wanted to smuggle an Afghan teenager in her suitcase into Hungary!

Hungary Romania Afghanistan

She wanted to smuggle him into Hungary on board an international train going to Austria in her suitcase.

According to index.hu, the event was reported by the Romanian border guard authority today. Their employees checked her suitcase at the border control post near Kürtös because the 24-year-old woman seemed to be very excited. When they opened her luggage, a 15-year-old boy came out from it. The international train’s final destination was Austria.

The young woman said that she wanted to take the younger brother of her Afghan boyfriend to Germany. The Romanian border patrol reports 10-30 of such illegal migrant cases daily. Most of the migrants try to hide in the cargo of the trucks to get through the Romanian-Hungarian border.

Government: Hungary prepared to evacuate all its citizens from Afghanistan!

Meanwhile, deputy foreign minister Levente Magyar held a press conference today – 444.hu reported. He said that the 26 Hungarian security professionals, who protected the Dutch embassy in Kabul, would be taken home by NATO. However, they asked for the help of the Hungarian authorities only after it became clear for them that the Netherlands will not help.

He added that there are further Hungarian citizens in the Afghan war zone, but he would not tell how many due to security reasons. He cleared that the ministry will share details only after the rescuing mission. He highlighted that the foreign ministry does not know how many Hungarian citizens there are abroad in the different countries.

He said that Hungary has a moral responsibility towards those Afghan nationals who helped the Hungarian mission in Afghanistan. They are a couple of dozens, but it is not yet clear how many of them Budapest can help.

He criticized the USA highlighting that Afghanistan could have been a good example for the export of democracy. However, the opposite happened, so “we are not doing something good”, and we must rethink many things.”

He did not say a direct answer on whether the Hungarian government regards the Taliban terrorists or not. But he said that they are a danger to world peace, and their power in Afghanistan is a global security problem.

He also said that the government expects a new wave of migrants and that FM Péter Szijjártó is on holiday.

 
Featured image: illustration

Breaking – foreign ministry was wrong, there are Hungarian citizens stuck in Afghanistan!

Hungary-Afghanistan-foreign-ministry

There are more than 26 Hungarian citizens stuck in Afghanistan – the Ministry of Foreign Affairs already confirmed. They can come home today or tomorrow.

According to index.hu, 26 Hungarian employees had the company that provided the defence of the embassy of Netherlands in Kabul. The security professionals are now waiting for rescue in the Afghan capital taken by Taliban forces yesterday.

The foreign ministry cleared, it is frequent in such emergencies that Hungarian citizens they did not know about ask for help. Similar things happened during the repatriation of the Hungarian nationals last year when the coronavirus epidemic broke out.

They added that the ministry already agreed with the evacuation of the Hungarian team with one of Hungary’s military allies. They highlighted that apart from the security professionals, further Hungarian citizens asked for help. The ministry remains in contact with all of them, but they did not want to share details about their extraction. Interestingly, the last Hungarian soldiers taking part in the Afghanistan mission arrived back in June.

As we reported before, Bucharest will send troops and a plane for Romanian citizens in the civil war-torn Asian country, and even Slovak citizens living in Afghanistan asked for help. Slovak PM Eduard Heger said that they gave a military aircraft for the NATO and are in intensive talks about how they can help their citizens and the Afghans. The Czech army transported their citizens home on Monday.

Regarding Hungary, atv.hu asked the Hungarian foreign ministry how many Hungarian citizens there are in Afghanistan. The ministry said on Monday that there were none. However, foreign secretary Levente Magyar added that the Hungarian government was looking into ways to help those who had worked for Hungarian troops as interpreters or in other capacities over the last 20 years.

Regarding their rescue, no information has been provided yet.

Army chief: Hungarian Airshow to demonstrate developments

kecskemét airshow

The international Kecskemét Airshow 2021 to be held on the last weekend of August will demonstrate the significant developments the Hungarian Army, including the ground and air forces, has undergone in the past eight years, army chief Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi said on Wednesday.

Ruszin-Szendi told public news channel M1 that all aircraft currently used by the Hungarian army will be featured in the airshow. Additionally, aircraft used by a dozen other countries will also fly in the Kecskemet base’s airspace during the show, he said.

Land equipment and some prototypes of Hungarian-developed weapons are also planned to go on display, he added.

The airshow’s programme will include various competitions and some of the winners will get a chance to fly with an army helicopter, he said.

For the list events to be held at the Kecskemét Airbase on August 28-29, visit repulonap2021.hu.

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Defence minister: Government puts Hungary’s security first

hungary military security

Hungary’s government puts the country’s security and the safety of its people first, the defence minister said in a video message on Facebook on Wednesday.

To ensure the country’s security, the government has embarked on Hungary’s biggest ever military development scheme, Tibor Benkő said.

The issue of defence has been placed on new foundations, allowing Hungary to rebuild its military, Benkő said. This was necessary because Hungary over the past decades had been witnessing a “conscious watering down of the Armed Forces” due to a lack of political will or economic stability, the minister said.

This is something the country cannot afford in a time of cyber security and terror threats and mass migration, he added.

Hungary is now building a strong and competent military committed to defending the homeland which is always ready to serve the security interests of the people, he said.

When it comes to the military, Hungary values both its contracted soldiers and its voluntary reservists, Benkő said. The government considers it crucial to recruit young people to the military and is also creating the conditions for taking proper care of its veterans, he added.

The modernisation of Hungary’s military industry doesn’t just serve to improve the country’s defence capabilities, but it also creates jobs and contributes to growth, Benko said.

Pintér Orbán
Read alsoNational Security Service not involved in illegal surveillance, says interior minister

Hungarian private mercenary army was created, the investor is from Dubai

military, exerise, soldiers, katona

A Hungarian private mercenary army is currently recruiting members. The private enterprise will work on a foreign military mission. The goal of the founder is to create a prestigious company on an international scale.

The new company is more than just a security company. Richárd Bagjos, the professional coordinator of the enterprise, told novekedes.hu that all employees are recruited based on acquaintanceship and personal recommendations, and they will not recruit new employees online. Every recruited person has experience in law enforcement. Former soldiers, shooters, police officers, and specially qualified people, such as firefighters and detectives, will work at the company. Application has been open since October last year.

Right now, there are 1,000 people available for a mission. There could be a total of 3,000 Hungarian men of arms, and another 7,000-8,000 people from the security sector could be recruited. The rest of them could be recruited from the Czech Republic, Poland, South America, and South Asia, in the case of an expansion of up to approximately 20,000 people.

“For the time being, headhunting has been going on in Hungary for ten months; among others, we are looking for blasting experts, IT specialists, paramedics, and even radar operators and interpreters, not just armed guards,” writes novekedes.hu based on the words of the professional coordinator.

The founder of the enterprise wants to be able to deploy a contingent of 600 people to any part of the world. The investor is the owner of a company group in Dubai. The Hungarian private mercenary will be registered in the United Arab Emirates.

The clients would be countries where law enforcement and the military are necessary. These clients could be Iran or Afghanistan. Both countries are currently left without multinational western forces.

The company made an offer to assist in the defending of Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan. There was a request from Iraq to take part in projects related to the government, but there have been discussions about the defence of the Syrian-Iraqi border. Other missions could take place at an African airport and port, in a French refugee camp, but the Hungarian company might also help with advice to a police unit in Sweden. 

Some discussions involve other tasks, such as building private prisons, stopping street riots, and training personnel.

Austria sends 400 soldiers to the Hungarian border

Austrian flag

Due to increased migration, the Austrian Minister of Defence and Minister of the Interior are sending 400 soldiers to the Austrian-Hungarian border.

Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer and Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner announced at a press conference that border protection would be strengthened due to the growing number of migrants arriving in Austria. Deutsche Welle writes that reinforced border protection currently means 400 soldiers.

If the situation worsens, they could send up to 2,000 soldiers to defend the borders.

“Austria is stepping up surveillance of its borders. The reason for this is that more and more migrants are coming to our country again,” said Interior Minister Karl Nehammer. Klaudia Tanner thinks similarly. Politicians from the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVB) reported on their experiences at a press conference in Vienna. Border protection initially means 400 soldiers. However, Tanner emphasised that they could deploy up to 2,000 soldiers if needed.

“The aim is to control migratory movements,”

said Tanner. “We are seeing an increase in the number of arrests at the Austrian border,” Nehammer added. The increase in migration is most significant on the Austrian-Hungarian border. However, they do not only strengthen the common border with Hungary. They also increase the strength of defence at their common borders with Slovenia and Slovakia. This year, 200 human traffickers have been caught, writes hvg.hu.

This year already 15,768 refugees were registered.

Last year this number was 21,700. Tanner has been critical of this. The Minister of Defence sharply criticised the European Commission. According to him, the European asylum system has failed. The measure introduced was welcomed by Christian Sagartz, leader of the easternmost province of Austria. Sagartz put it as an important signal in the fight against illegal migration.

In addition to illegal migration, the measures are aimed at effectively ending smuggling activities. In Sagartz’s view, all provinces and the whole of Austria could benefit from this. Right-wing politician Herbert Kickl welcomed the measure but also voiced criticism. He believes Nehammer is at least a year late with this decision, as 100 illegal migrants arrive in Austria every day.

12 countries to participate in International Air-show Kecskemét

aircraft

The two-day-long show will take place on August 28-29. 

Hungary is open, mask-free, and more than ready to welcome tourists with many exciting and fun activities throughout this summer. 

Try the best ice-creams of Lake Balaton at one of these confectioneries 

The International Air show Kecskemét will be one of these programmes.

It will take place in Kecskemét on August 28-29. 

The event has quite the tradition, it was held for the first time in August 1990. Though, at that time, it ran under the name International Aircraft and Military Technology Exhibition. 

The most exciting parts of this show were the two MiG-29 aircraft of the Soviet Air Forces and the two F-16 fighter jets of the American Air Forces that arrived in Hungary at the same time. 

A year later, for the second time, already more countries represented their aircraft.

In 2008, when the world’s largest military air show, the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) was cancelled, the eyes of aircraft lovers turned towards Hungary and Kecskemét. Moreover, as the Hungarian Air Forces celebrated their 70th birthday and the Hungarian Defence Forces their 160th, the show was bigger and more spectacular than ever. 

The last time, the show was organised in 2013, exceeding all expectations. 3 out of the 7 participating teams have never been to Hungary before. 

“After 8 years of rest, the International Airshow and Military Exhibition will be organised in 2021 in Kecskemét”, writes HelloMagyar. 

The objective of the event is to present and exhibit the military technology tools and vehicles already acquired or planned to be acquired by the Hungarian Defence Forces.

Zsolt Sándor, the assistant to the Commandant of the Hungarian Defence Forces, told TV channel M1 on Tuesday morning, that

they are expecting around 60-65 thousand people for the unique mass event of Central Europe. 

He highlighted that more than 20 international companies in the arms industry will be participating. Among others, the “Turkish Stars” and the “Saudi Falcons” will represent themselves. 

Apart from the air forces, dry-land forces will be represented, as well.

Special operation soldiers, region protection regiment, cadets of the Defence Forces, and even the National University of Public Service will be present. 

Fighter aircraft and carrier machinery of the air forces will be exhibited, together with a dynamic air show. 

The complete programme of the two-day-long event is not finalized yet, as the registration is still open. However, according to the current plans, after the official opening, all registered aircraft of the Hungarian Defence Forces will be showcased together in the sky. 

It means that we can see Airbuses, Falcons, Gripens, H-145 helicopters, and Zlin training aeroplanes.

When it comes to dry-land, A4 and A7 tanks and the Hungarian Gidran armoured tactical vehicle will showcase what they know. 

If you are interested, you can buy tickets on the website: repulonap2020.hu, on the top of the page, by clicking on Jegyinformáció. 

date: 28-29 August 2021

place: Kecskemét, MH 59. Szentgyörgyi Dezső Repülőbázis (Kecskemét, 4, Reptéri út 4) 

Budapest
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Defence minister: “the security environment in the region and the world is extremely fragile”

Hungary military
Hungary’s soldiers have proven that they have an understanding of more than just weapons, Defence Minister Tibor Benkő said at the inauguration ceremony of non-commissioned officers of the armed forces on Saturday.
 
Benkő told the 373 officers taking their oath of office on Budapest’s Heroes’ Square that besides having the skill to handle weapons, they also needed to be ready to handle disasters like the coronavirus pandemic. “The soldiers have proven that the Hungarian Armed Forces
can be counted on to handle any kind of problem anywhere and at any time,”
Benkő said.

The minister thanked the parents of the new NCOs for “raising their children to dedicate their lives to the service of the country” and to make the sacrifices and take on the trials that come with it. He
encouraged the officers to do everything they can to be the best they can be and to set an example
to the entire country.

“It’s clear that the security environment in the region and the world is extremely fragile,” Benko said, adding that this was why the government considered it crucial to have a competent, committed, well-trained and well-equipped military.  

Zsolt Sándor, deputy commander of the armed forces, said at the ceremony that
being a non-commissioned officer was not a job but a calling.
He said NCOs were the bridge between the army’s commissioned officers and its rank-and-file. They play a key role in leading subunits and handling complex equipment, he added. Sándor praised the role the new graduates had played in Hungary’s response to the pandemic over the past year, adding that they had “many similar challenges” ahead of them.
 

US-Hungarian joint airforce and field army developments to come in four bases in Hungary!

Hungary USA military

Representatives of the US and Hungary signed the implementation agreements under the two countries’ Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) of 2019 concerning the air bases of Kecskemát and Pápa on Friday.

Tibor Babos, ministerial commissioner in charge of implementing tasks within the US-Hungary DCA, said at an event in Kecskemét that the agreement originally signed in Washington, DC, was a bilateral inter-state defence pact offering a framework for strengthening cooperation and carrying out military developments at the three bases.

He said that

Kecskemét and Pápa would see infrastructure and technology developments for the airforce,

while developments for the field army would take place in Tata and Várpalota.

Babos said that the details of the actual development projects would be negotiated in the near future. The DCA was signed on April 4, 2019, by US deputy secretary of state John Sullivan and Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s foreign minister.

Special manoeuvres as part of Black Swan military exercise – PHOTOS

Defence minister: Western Balkans stability ‘extremely important’ for Hungary

migration - Hungary border fence army

Hungary regards peace, stability and security in the Western Balkans as “extremely important”, Hungary’s defence minister said on Wednesday in Sarajevo, where he handed over a donation of 1,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to local civilians serving at the EUFOR camp.

Tibor Benkő said the Hungarian government’s assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina contributed to the country’s security.

EUFOR Commander Alexander Platzer noted that whereas most peacekeeping soldiers at the had already received jabs, civilians working in the camp hadn’t. Hungary quickly responded to their request for help, he added.

Mijo Kresic, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s deputy minister for defence, said the donation was a sign of the deepening of “outstanding” relations between the two countries.

Benkő noted that the vaccination rate within Hungary’s army was 85 percent and that around 7,000 soldiers and military personnel had been infected during the epidemic, while 14 soldiers and personnel died.

Hungary backs Lithuania’s fight against illegal immigration

Hungary supports Lithuania in the protection of its borders against illegal immigrants, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Vilnius, pointing out that Lithuania was protecting the European Union’s external borders.

“Lithuania is now facing the same serious challenge that Hungary faced in 2015 when hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants violated our southern border and with it our sovereignty,” Szijjártó said.

He added that illegal migration now also carried the risk of the spread of the coronavirus.

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Read alsoEU could lose Western Balkans, says Hungarian foreign minister

Hungary to help stop a dangerous terrorist group?

military

Hungary might be the needed help to stop one of the world’s most dangerous terrorist organisations.

In April, US President Joe Biden announced the withdrawal of NATO troops from Afghanistan after 20 years of presence in the country. The American soldiers are set to leave before September, however, it seems like it might happen even earlier, on the course of this month.

NATO troops were aiding the Afghan government since 2001 in its fight against the radical Islamist Taliban. After this decision, it seems that the terrorist group has gained some new motivation. According to some sources, almost one-third of Afghanistan’s certain territories is under the rule of the Taliban. If they gain more power, that would result in big chaos once again, not only in the country.

Turkey, for instance, could suffer the consequences. Afghanistan’s destabilisation could endanger Turkey’s safety, as well. In order to avoid this and to show a positive gesture towards the United States,

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has recently expressed his willingness to start a new mission in the torn-apart country

to protect the country’s most important airport in the capital of Kabul.

The Hamid Karzai International Airport is not simply the most important connecting point of Afghanistan to the rest of the world but also a military base where the Afghan Air Forces station many aircraft of high importance.

Turkey’s reaction came as a surprise but

Hungary’s involvement in the mission might be even more interesting.

It is a logical decision that Pakistan aids Turkey since their good diplomatic relations with the Taliban can be an asset when negotiating a compromise with the jihadist group.

Hungary, on the other hand, might not be the most obvious decision. Nevertheless, the country that is currently developing a stronger army might just be the solution to maintaining a kind of security situation.

The country can have several reasons to involve itself in such a mission. First, as PM

Viktor Orbán is trying to build the country’s image of a trustworthy strategical partner among NATO members,

this decision can be regarded as a positive move inside the organisation.

Orbán: Hungary aims to develop a strong and modern army

Furthermore, the Hungarian government seeks to strengthen its military cooperation with Turkey. And last, but certainly not least, Hungary is situated right on the path of migrants leaving Middle Eastern countries full of armed conflicts, writes infostart.hu. If the situation in Afghanistan gets out of hand once again, Hungary can quickly find itself under enormous pressure of crowds fleeing their country.

The official reason for Hungary’s involvement is the fact that

Many Hungarian soldiers stationed in Afghanistan’s capital between 2010 and 2013, complying with their duty to maintain the safety of the premises.

“Hungarian soldiers know perfectly the weak areas of the airport’s safety system and the local area”, quotes portfolio.hu the words of the Turkish Defence Ministry.

However, for now, it is less than certain that this cooperation between Hungary and Turkey will be born.

The Biden Administration needs to give the green light to the mission

since a complete NATO withdrawal does not mean that other troops would stay in the country, even though initially the involvement of the States was the centre of the issue. Saying yes to Turkey, Pakistan, and Hungary can lead to an aggressive reaction from the Taliban, as it is not the deal they expected to have.
Nevertheless, after the exit of the United States, it would be an immense success to reach an agreement and a compromise with the Taliban, that would avoid utter chaos in Afghanistan. Especially if Hungary would have any involvement in the process.

new army commander
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Scandal! Lieutenant-colonel of the Hungarian army forced his married subordinate to sex?

A married woman was sexually harassed by a lieutenant-colonel of the Hungarian Defence Forces. The man said that he wanted to have a sexual relationship with the woman and even set the date for it. The victim, who was the man’s colleague, reported the case after the harasser said he wanted to be involved with the woman’s daughter as well.

According to the harassed woman’s attorney, she informed the legal services, asked for help from psychologists, and reported the case to the commanders. After help was denied, the victim turned to the Central Chief Prosecution Office of Investigation and reported the lieutenant-colonel. As neither the harasser, nor the victim was relocated within their workplace, the woman went on sick leave.

An indignity proceeding was started against the lieutenant-colonel, but the newly appointed commander of the Hungarian Defence Forces, Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, stopped the proceeding.

According to 24.hu and hvg.hu, Minister of Defence Tibor Benkő said that if there are more people involved in the case, it is impossible to highlight just one person because the circumstances and the role of the lieutenant-colonel’s colleagues who knew about the harassment should be investigated as well. Commander Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi made a statement about zero tolerance in the army for harassers.

“My goal is not to solve the problem quickly, dismiss one or two colleagues, relocate one or two people, then nicely move on. This message has to be eliminated, and everyone in a uniform has to understand the moral norms we do not let go of!” 

Taking all aspects into consideration, it is not clear why the indignity proceeding was terminated. This proceeding can only end if it has an outcome, which in the current situation would be to ascertain whether the lieutenant-colonel has dignity and is worthy of continuing his work or not. 

The investigation conducted by the Hungarian Defence Forces is separate from the one conducted by the Central Chief Prosecution Office of Investigation. The latter is ongoing because of the victim’s report. This means that it is independent of the defence forces’ internal investigation.