HUNGARIAN COMMENTS ON AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN

UNCLAS BUDAPEST 000254 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/A TOM REOTT AND EUR/CE JAMIE LAMORE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL NATO MARR MOPS AF HU SUBJECT: HUNGARIAN COMMENTS ON AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN STRATEGIC REVIEW REF: A. SECSTATE 29482 ¶B. BUDAPEST 197 ¶1. (SBU) PolOff delivered ref A demarche to the MFA's NATO Section Head Peter Sztaray on March 27. Sztaray who had the lead in preparing Hungary's response to the USG's request for inputs to the AFPAK strategy review, commented that the white paper is "in line with our views" on the way forward (ref B). He noted that Hungary will restate its commitments at the upcoming ministerial to provide additional forces during the August elections in Afghanistan, as well as the deployment of a second Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team later this year. Sztaray also raised the French-led proposal to create a 300-500 person Gendarmerie training contingent in conjunction with Italy, Spain, Portugal, Romania and possibly Greece as a potential force-multiplier in training the Afghan National Police (ANP). However, Margit Szucz, the MFA's Afghan Desk Officer, commented that it is still unclear as to what relationship the proposed contingent would have with current ANP training efforts underway, the impact on EUPOL manning, as well as questions of funding for the proposed unit. ¶2. (SBU) The DAO also presented the demarche to the MOD's Security Policy State Secretary Jozsef Bali on March 27. Bali noted that Hungary will review the document and will be ready to discuss at the upcoming NATO summit. The GOH will present a united front concerning policies in Afghanistan and the region, and will continue to do its part in the on-going missions. Foley