HUNGARY REQUESTING ASSISTANCE TO SUSTAIN AFGHAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUDAPEST 000924 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/A TOM REOTT, EUR/RPM RAPHAEL CARLAND AND EUR/CE JAMIE LAMORE E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/16/2018 TAGS: PREL MOPS MARR HU AF SUBJECT: HUNGARY REQUESTING ASSISTANCE TO SUSTAIN AFGHAN NATIONAL ARMY REF: SECSTATE 97991 Classified By: P/E Counselor Eric Gaudiosi, reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) MFA Security and Non-proliferation Department Head Vilmos Hamikus discussed reftel with PolOff on September 17. Responding to the request to prioritize troops and trainers rather than for financial support, Hamikus said the Hungarian PRT in Pol-e-Komri was ready to provide training, and he requested U.S. support to encourage the Afghan Government to deploy, at a minimum an ANA Company, but preferable a battalion to Baghlan Province as soon as possible. (Note: Minister of Defense Imre Szekeres recently announced that the Hungarian PRT manning would increase by 30 personnel. End note) ¶2. (C) Continuing, Hamikus mentioned that the MFA and MOD are currently in preliminary discussion to propose an increase in the current five-party parliamentary limit of 1000 personnel deployed abroad to 1500. Noting that this ceiling is often exceeded during troop rotations, Hamikus stated that the increase would provide an opportunity for further troop deployments to Afghanistan in the future to assist with the ANA training mission. ¶3. (C) In a related statement, Minister of Defense Szekeres announced that he is requesting an end-strength increase of 1000 personnel for the Hungarian Defense Force, which would provide an increased capability to deploy additional troops and trainers. The Commandant of the Hungarian Central Training Center in Szentendre, Major General Janos Isaszegyi, told the DATT September 17 that 250 of the 1000 increase would most likely be held in reserve for potential emergency deployments or as augmentees to bolster current deployments. Foley