High-Level French State Award
Szöveg: Ádám Draveczki-Ury | 2014. november 2. 6:01Hungarian soldiers received prestigious state awards at the French Residence in Budapest, in the evening of October 29. Gen. Tibor Benkő PhD was presented with the officer’s cross of the French Legion of Honour, and Col. Róbert Szedlacsek with the knight’s cross of the French Legion of Honor. Col. László Benda and Col. Gyula Kovács received French commemorative medals with the designation “Afghanistan”.
Roland Galharague, Ambassador of France to Hungary presented on Wednesday the awards of his state to the Chief of Defence and three Hungarian senior officers. In his short welcome speech, the ambassador praised the 300 years of military relations between the two countries. Roland Galharague referred to the story of László Bercsényi’s and Bálint Esterházy’s hussar regiments, since the legal successors of these units still exist in the French armed forces. He said that France highly appreciates Hungary’s efforts in the European common security and defence policy and the military operations of the European Union, and highlighted the cooperation between the two nations’ troops on foreign missions conducted in various theatres of war, from Afghanistan to Mali. As examples of fruitful relations, he mentioned the combined exercises which are held to strengthen interoperability and the regular cooperation between the military units, and praised the joint efforts in the field of education, for instance those of the National University of Public Service and the Veszprém-based Control and Reporting Centre (CRC).
In his thank-you speech, the Chief of Defence pointed out that the past connects the two nations, and at the same time obliges us to go further down this road. Training, education and participation in operations are all proofs of the living and good relations between the two armed forces, which should be developed and carried on in the future. “The commanders’ performance in doing their job is always the result of soldiers, so they too should be given thought in this moment", the general said.
Gen. Tibor Benkő received the officer’s cross of the French Legion of Honour for his role in strengthening bilateral relations. Col. Róbert Szedlacsek was awarded primarily for the efforts made in his position of defence attaché accredited to Paris, whereas Col. László Benda and Col. Gyula Kovács for their service in Afghanistan with the HDF Kabul International Airport Force Protection Contingent (HDF KAIA FPC).
Photos: László Tóth
