HUNGARY WILL CONSIDER HOSTING A FUTURE EXERCISE

UNCLAS BUDAPEST 001033 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR ISN/WMDT BRIAN LEWIS AND MEGGEN WATT, T/TIM KATSAPIS, AND EUR/CE JAMIE LAMORE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM MCAP PINR PINS HU SUBJECT: HUNGARY WILL CONSIDER HOSTING A FUTURE EXERCISE PLANNING GROUP EVENT REF: A. SECSTATE 113280 ¶B. SECSTATE 101862 ¶C. BUDAPEST 1009 ¶D. MARTINSON-WMDT EMAILS ¶1. In a follow-up discussion to ref A demarche delivered October 27, MFA Section for Arms Control and Non-proliferation Head Mark Horvath told PolOff October 30 that the MFA will take under consideration hosting a future Exercise Planning Group (EPG) event. Horvath noted that the MFA is facing additional spending cutbacks due to the current financial crisis, but expressed appreciation for estimated cost data related to previous planning events provided by PolOff (ref D),as these will help him push the proposal forward. ¶2. Horvath also provided a follow-up to refs B and C, noting that Hungary will now have a yet-to-be-identified representative from their Embassy in Washington at the November 13-14 EPG. Levine