In spite of the heavy workload, the soldiers of the Hungarian Defence Forces are doing a good job in Afghanistan – Gen. Tibor Benkő told Hungarian News Agency MTI on Friday, November 23 after returning from his visit to the Central Asian country.

The general said that “in spite of the heavy workload and the very difficult circumstances, the soldiers are performing their duties in an exemplary and professional way”. By way of example, he mentioned the Hungarian soldiers of the Kabul International Airport Force Protection Contingent, who serve for six months in a rotational system, without taking a day off per week to rest. During his five-day tour the Chief of Defence visited every Hungarian contingent and held discussions with several military and local leaders as well.
 “Everybody expressed their greatest satisfaction with the Hungarian troops’ training standards, performance, professional knowledge and attitude to task execution”, Tibor Benkő said.

He also noted that he had met Abdul Khadim, the deputy governor of Baghlan Province, who acknowledged that the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) would soon terminate its activities, but at the same time asked the Hungarian government to assist the development of the region in other forms in the fields of education, health care and training.

In Tibor Benkő’s assessment, the security situation in Afghanistan changes from region to region, and is tense as a whole. “Of course, the improvement or deterioration of the security situation affects the activities of all organizations present there. However, we conduct the operations after a thorough assessment of the situation, paying maximum attention to the Force Protection of our own units”, the Chief of the Defence Staff added. Tibor Benkő also said that the insurgents usually use the approaching wintertime for preparation, statistics show that their activity is reduced during this period, so the situation becomes “calmer” but continues to be dangerous.

(MoD Press Office, Ministry of Defence)