At a press conference held in Parliament on Tuesday, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said that Parliament had made the wisest and most responsible decision by granting authority to send Hungarian troops to join the campaign against Islamic State (IS).
The Minister explained that, thanks to Parliament’s decision, Hungary can make a contribution to successfully fighting terrorism by sending a military contingent. He pointed out that this will also enable Hungary to fulfil the obligations that spring from its commitment to shared Western values.
On Tuesday, Parliament passed a resolution to send up to 150 soldiers to the training centre in Erbil in Iraq, in order to join the campaign against the terrorist group Islamic State. Minister of Defence Csaba Hende’s proposal, which required a two-thirds majority, was passed by 137 votes to 57.
The proposal envisages that Hungarian soldiers will serve at the Erbil base until 31 December 2017.
Mr. Szijjártó emphasised that Islamic State represents a global threat which must be taken seriously. Not everybody treats this danger with the importance it deserves, he added, although the terrorist organisation has launched a comprehensive and brutal attack on the whole of the Western community of values, and for this reason the Government had requested that Parliament approve the deployment of troops.
The Minister outlined that the mission would involve 110 soldiers undertaking military duties in Northern Iraq, with six officers in positions of command – some outside Iraq. There will be a four-man technical intelligence unit, and 27 troops will remain on standby in Hungary for possible rotation, he said.
In connection with forthcoming events over the next few days, the Minister mentioned that on Tuesday he would advise the US ambassador to Hungary, the Iraqi foreign minister and the foreign minister of the regional government of Kurdistan of the decision, and that he will have personal talks with the German and Italian foreign ministers at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday. As this campaign does not have UN or NATO authorisation, a bilateral exchange of notes with the Iraqi government is necessary. This was initiated on Tuesday and will provide the legal grounds for Hungarian troops being able to participate in military action in Iraq.
Mr. Szijjártó also indicated that the relevant embassies will notify the other countries participating in the international campaign of the Hungarian parliament’s decision, which will make Hungary the 17th country to send soldiers to join the international coalition. In addition, arrangements have commenced in preparation for a visit by the Foreign Minister to Baghdad and Erbil – meaning that a ministerial visit will directly precede the contingent’s departure.
The Minister believes that it will take three to five months for the full Hungarian contingent to be deployed. The process could start in the middle or second half of May and be completed by the end of July or by August.