Hungarian Chief of Defence Continues His Balkans Tour in Sarajevo
Szöveg: Defence Staff | 2014. április 3. 10:13On March 29, the second day of his tour of the Balkans, Gen. Dr. Tibor Benkő, the Chief of the Defence Staff visited the EUFOR forces deployed in Bosnia-Herzegovina in Sarajevo, where currently 165 Hungarian soldiers are serving.
The Chief of Defence met Maj.-Gen. Dieter Heidecker, the commander of the EUFOR in Bosnia, who informed Gen. Tibor Benkő about the current security situation. He pointed out that there is a continuous threat of social discontent turning into countrywide inter-ethnic conflict, and the autumn period of elections in Bosnia may also fuel this kind of unrest. Earlier, in the light of what had happened in February, the outgoing commander of EUFOR ALTHEA had urged the reinforcement of in-theatre forces until the end of the year, in particular for the period of the October elections. The risk assessment for EUFOR has not changed, but there is a slow regression to instability, so the country remains a risk factor in the Western Balkans. As it was stated, in the interest of keeping the country up and running and under control, the presence of international forces is indispensable in the short and the medium run as well.
Gen. Tibor Benkő at the EUFOR HQ
The Austrian commander of EUFOR expressed his greatest appreciation for the Hungarian soldiers’ professional standards and attitude to task execution. He stressed the excellent cooperation between Austrian and Hungarian troops, which, as he noted, is due to their high professional standards and common historical roots. He said he was lucky to be able to work with a chief of staff in Bosnia-Herzegovina like Brig.-Gen. András Szűcs, who is giving him excellent assistance with the multifarious tasks in the present critical situation in Bosnia, thanks to his remarkable professional and leadership background.
During his visit to Sarajevo, Gen. Tibor Benkő held a discussion with Gen. Merle D. Hart, the commander of NATO HQ Sarajevo. The commander, his deputy, and the command sergeant major of the headquarters – just like the Austrian commander of EUFOR – expressed their greatest appreciation for the service of the Hungarian soldiers posted to the HQ, for their outstanding professional skills, humane attitude and good cooperation.
At the time of Gen. Benkő’s visit, Gen. Hart awarded Maj. Csaba Sári, a senior officer of the HDF Joint Force Command The Air Force Commendation Medal for his outstanding achievements in working out the operational procedures for the NATO HQ Sarajevo and for his professional attitude during his tour of duty. The Hungarian soldier was serving under General Hart in the Balkans Joint Operational Area between May and November 2013.
Gen. Tibor Benkő and Maj.-Gen. Dieter Heidecker
In what followed, Gen. Merle D. Hart informed his Hungarian partner about the threefold set of tasks of the NATO HQ Sarajevo. He stressed his personal commitment to improving the poor and therefore very dangerous condition of weapon and ammunition storage facilities. He pointed out that the revision of the HQ operational plan is in progress, and in it they would pay special attention to a more effective implementation of the principle of comprehensive approach, as well as to closer cooperation with Operation EUFOR ALTHEA.
On the last leg of his tour, Gen. Benkő first visited Camp Butmir, where he met the peacekeepers of the HDF EUFOR Contingent at a staff meeting, and then the Hungarian soldiers serving in individual positions at the EUFOR HQ, whom he informed about the current events of the Hungarian Defence Forces.
