Hungary Transforms Its Role in Afghanistan

Csaba Hende stressed that Hungary’s Afghanistan policy remains unchanged and our country continues to support NATO’s efforts in Afghanistan. In the interest of assuming a more effective role, however, Hungary is going to transform its activity in the ISAF mission at the request of the North Atlantic Alliance.

As part of the transformation, the Hungarian-led HDF Provincial Reconstruction Team (HUN PRT) is going to complete its mission and the Hungarian Defence Forces will withdraw this contingent from Baghlan Province in March 2013. This also means that Hungary terminates its development activity in the province. Csaba Hende pointed out that thanks to the Hungarian soldiers’ activity, nearly 100,000 people have experienced an improvement in their quality of life, as considerable progress has been made in the fields of education, health care and agriculture, and significant development projects have been implemented in the field of infrastructure too. The Minister of Defence added that the 13th rotation of the PRT (HUN PRT-13) has finished training for the tasks related to the handover of the camp.

At the press conference it was stated that in accordance with the government’s decision, the Hungarian Defence Forces will take over the lead nation role in force protection (FP) at Kabul International Airport (KAIA) for six months as of October 1, 2012. The Minister stressed that Hungary considers this mission a great honor.

Csaba Hende also said that thanks to the successful validation of the mentored Afghan battalion (kandak) in July, the Hungarian–US Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT) deployed at Khilagay is going to be converted into a Military Advisory Team over the next period and will move to Mazar-e Sharif in the spring of 2013 to play an advisory role for a division of the Afghan National Army (ANA).

Speaking about the helicopter air mentor teams, – i.e. the Mi-17 Air Advisory Team and the Mi-25 Air Mentor Team –, the Minister told the press that Hungary will extend their mandates in accordance with the government’s decision.

Also in accordance with the governmental motion adopted on Wednesday, the Hungarian Defence Forces Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) is going to be converted as well. Reinforced and augmented with a staff element under the designation HDF Special Operations Forces (SOF) Contingent, it will be able to operate more independently with less allied support and to help with the training and capability-building of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF).

Csaba Hende noted that due to the transformation there will be a temporary increase in the number of Hungarian soldiers serving in Afghanistan, but next spring a significant drawdown will start in line with the NATO exit strategy.

The Minister of Defence stressed that the Hungarian troops’ activity in Afghanistan expands the experience of the Hungarian Defence Forces in crisis response operations conducted abroad and the territorial defence capability of Hungary as well, because well-trained soldiers with lessons learned in operations can be more effective in the armed service of the homeland.

Photo: Mária Krasznai-Nehrebeczky