Change of Chief of Staff at NATO HQ Sarajevo

Szöveg: honvedelem.hu | 2018. szeptember 3. 6:30

The handover-takeover of the responsibilities of chief of staff took place at the Sarajevo NATO Headquarters on 30th August. The position was passed by Colonel Ferenc Könczöl, Commander, HDF 12th Arrabona Surface-to-Air Missile Regiment to Colonel Tibor Papp, Head of the Military Examination Centre (MEC), Faculty of Military Science and Officer Training, National University of Public Service (NUPS) at NATO/EUFOR Butmir Camp.

At the transfer of authority ceremony – attended among others by the Charge d’Affaires ad interim of the Sarajevo Embassy of Hungary Ms. Ágnes Angyal, Commander EUFOR Major General Martin Dorfer, EUFOR Chief of Staff Brigadier General Gábor Horváth, and the senior national representatives of the nations serving at the Headquarters – Commander of NATO Headquarters Brigadier General Marti J. Bissel thanked Colonel Ferenc Könczöl for his outstanding work he has done for the Headquarters, and decorated him with the NATO Non-Article 5 Medal. He wished every success to Colonel Tibor Papp – who had already earlier performed service at Camp Butmir and also at other NATO Headquarters – in the discharge of duties of the chief of staff position.

In his farewell speech, Colonel Ferenc Könczöl said thanks to the personnel of the staff and the Headquarters for their professional work and for the support, they provided for him during the past one year, and requested them to continue to support the work of the chief of staff succeeding him the same way.

In his speech Colonel Tibor Papp said thanks to Colonel Könczöl for the assistance he received during the handover-takeover. He reported to Brigadier General Bissel that he is prepared for the discharge of duties of the chief of staff position in the interest of the assistance of the commander’s work and the maintenance and strengthening of the co-operation between the EUFOR and the NATO Headquarters.

The stability of the Western Balkans is in the national interest of Hungary, which has from the beginning participated in the peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since its establishment in 2004, the main task of the Sarajevo NATO Headquarters has been to support the reform of and to promote the structural transformation of the defence and security system of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Upon the termination of the SFOR-mission, NATO reorganised the headquarters previously operating there with an aim to enable the Sarajevo NATO Headquarters for the implementation of this special assignment. Accordingly, the Sarajevo Headquarters provides an ongoing strategic-level support to the Bosnia and Herzegovina Government and to some elements of the defence sector in order to achieve the long-term objective of the country, the full European and Euro-Atlantic integration.