Csaba Hende: Hungary Is Ready to Expand Its Forces in Bosnia

Between November 14 and 16, Minister Hende traveled to Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina to visit the Hungarian troops serving with international peacekeeping missions in the Western Balkans.

Csaba Hende met US Brig.-Gen. Christopher Petty, the commander of the local NATO forces in Sarajevo. As the Minister emphasized, the general noted that there was no direct military threat, but even a football match or two young brawlers’ action may lead to the eruption of ethnic violence with unforeseeable consequences. Therefore, the international community made the right decision by extending the EUFOR mandate, the politician said.

Minister Hende told MTI that all commanders whom he had met had spoken very highly of the Hungarian troops’ performance. Having learnt about the Hungarian troops’ professional standards, Gen. Petty said he trusts them so deeply that he would be pleased to co-deploy with them anywhere in the world", Csaba Hende added.

Minister Hende said that for this reason, the general would like to see the Hungarian troops maintain their presence in Bosnia in greater numbers.

Csaba Hende told the general that he was willing to increase the number of staff officers as soon as the general informed him of the required positions.

Minister Hende noted that Hungarian soldiers have been present in the Balkans for several decades and have efficiently been serving the interests and values of NATO and the EU – and the interests of the Hungarian nation.

Sgt. Zsolt Bérczes, the leader of an EOD team deployed with EUFOR told MTI that there are still 200 to 300 thousand live mines out there in Bosnian minefields.

The effectiveness of demining is shown by the fact that the number of mines has been reduced from an earlier one million, but still, not a single week goes by without accidents. The local forces have already demined the environs of cities, the areas along main roads and those frequented by tourists, but the uninhabited regions are still dangerous.

A further difficulty is that the irregular forces that fought in the war did not make any mine maps, so only 60 per cent of all the minefields are presently known to us, the sergeant said.

During his visit to Sarajevo on Sunday, Csaba Hende presented the “Alliance" Service Medal to EUFOR Commander Austrian Maj.-Gen. Dieter Heidecker, met Brig.-Gen. Cristopher Petty, and held a staff meeting for the Hungarian troops serving in Sarajevo.

As part of his program, Minister Hende visited the Museum “Tunnel of Hope". This museum introduces a tunnel which connected the besieged city with the areas controlled by Bosnian forces during the Serb siege of Sarajevo, ensuring a supply route to the Bosnian capital.

More than 700 Hungarian troops are deployed in various peacekeeping missions around the world. Of them, 350 are serving with the NATO-led KFOR mission in Kosovo and 150 with the EU-led Operation EUFOR Althea in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The tasks of both international missions include the following: to maintain the ceasefire, disband irregular forces, create a safe and secure environment, deliver humanitarian aid, conduct demining and border control, prevent the resumption of hostilities and ensure freedom of movement.

Photos by Tünde Rácz