If there is such a request, Hungary stands ready to continue its presence in Afghanistan after 2014, the end of the mandate of NATO’s current mission, President of Hungary János Áder said after his discussions with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in the NATO Headquarters, Brussels on Thursday, January 17. The NATO Secretary General called Hungary “a dependable ally”.

János Áder is the first President of Hungary to have visited the NATO Headquarters in Brussels since Hungary joined the Alliance in 1999. Speaking at a press conference following the meeting, the Head of State summed up the discussions in three words: security, trust and partnership.

János Áder stated that “it’s close to fifteen years now that Hungary joined NATO, and it was the first time that that Hungary voluntarily joined a military alliance, actually after reiterating this decision through a referendum.”

“I think close to fifteen years ago Hungarians made a right decision. And this decision – back then and also now – serves the security of Hungary”, the President of Hungary said. He added that over the last years the Hungarian military leaders and soldiers have earned the trust of NATO’s military commanders and leaders. This is what he personally experienced last month on his visit to Afghanistan as the first Hungarian Head of State since the change of regime.

“When I met Gen. (John) Allen, the Commander of ISAF, he uttered a very important sentence (…) – he said: “Wherever and when I see the Hungarian national flag, the red, white and green, whenever I see a soldier wearing that flag on their uniform I stand confident that everything is going to be in order, that I can count on those soldiers, that these soldiers will carry out their duties in a punctual way, precisely as is expected of them”, János Áder recalled his experiences gained in Afghanistan.

Speaking about partnership, János Áder noted that both he and the NATO Secretary General consider it important to further the integration of the Balkan countries, and it is equally important to “strengthen the transatlantic link and to carry it forward. This is one of the most important objectives for the next some years”, the Head of State stressed.

The President of Hungary said that this summer Anders Fogh Rasmussen would visit Hungary, where he would travel to see the Pápa Air Base as well.

After the meeting, Anders Fogh Rasmussen himself referred to the Pápa Air Base as a significant project through which Hungary has an important share in NATO’s tasks. At
Pápa, Hungary houses three C–17 long-range military transport aircraft, which contributes to NATO’s strategic airlift capabilities.

The NATO Secretary General thanked the President of Hungary for the participation of Hungarian soldiers in missions abroad, and called Hungary “a dependable ally”.

“By training the Afghan forces [the Hungarian soldiers] are helping to shape a better future for the Afghan people,” the NATO Secretary General said. He stressed that “Afghan soldiers and police are taking the lead for the security of almost 90 per cent of the population. By mid-2013 they will be in the lead for the security of 100 per cent of Afghans nation-wide and by the end of 2014 they will be fully in charge of their own security across the country”.

The Secretary General stated that Hungary’s contribution to the KFOR mission in Kosovo – where some 200 Hungarian soldiers are serving – reflects the importance Hungary attaches to maintaining security and stability in the region of the Western Balkans, “a region which we all want to see anchored in Euro-Atlantic structures”. 

The Secretary General pointed out that Hungary’s contributions to NATO’s missions “are even more valuable because they are made despite times of economic austerity”.

(MoD Press Office)