Mission Awareness Conference

The invitation was extended to several non-ISAF nations, and so representatives of China, Japan, Pakistan, India, Russia and Kazakhstan also attended the meeting. The attachés and Senior National Representatives from the invited countries were given presentations and participated in Q&A sessions together with the presenters and the experts of various special fields.

Lt.-Gen. Olivier de Bavinchove, the ISAF Chief of Staff delivered an opening speech, in which he stressed that the conference was organized with the aims of giving a complete picture of the current situation to the (non-)ISAF countries committed to the ongoing operations and the transition, and of introducing them to the transformation plans for the post-2014 period after the drawdown of forces.

In his presentation, Gen. John R. Allen, the commander of ISAF said that the international community would not let down Afghanistan and the Afghan people after 2014. The mentoring and advising missions will continue, and the transition will be implemented in several stages. The general pointed out that we have to learn the lessons of the past and should not let the mistakes of the 1980s happen once again.

On behalf of the Hungarian Defence Forces, Col. József Nyers, the commander of the HDF National Support Element and Col. József Koller, the commander of the HDF Mi-35 Air Mentor Team participated in the conference.

Gen. John. R. Allen closed the conference by announcing that the conference will be organized again in September so that the nations can share the results and identify the possible ways forward.