Cablegate: Hungary's Comments On Afghan Transition Planning

VZCZCXRO9671
PP RUEHSL RUEHSR
DE RUEHUP #0023 0151605
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 151605Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4809
INFO RUEHXP/ALL NATO POST COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHPG/AMEMBASSY PRAGUE PRIORITY 0663
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 0487
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0165

UNCLAS BUDAPEST 000023

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/RPM AARON COPE, S/SRAP DERECK HOGAN,
SCA/A, EUR/CE JAMIE MOORE, AND EMBASSY PRAGUE ACTING DCM
JOHN LAW

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS NATO AF HU
SUBJECT: HUNGARY'S COMMENTS ON AFGHAN TRANSITION PLANNING
AND PRAGUE PRT CONFERENCE

REF: A. SECSTATE 4108
B. SECSTATE 3595
C. 2009 BUDAPEST 876

1. (SBU) PolOff delivered ref A and B points to the MOD
Policy State Secretary Jozsef Bali and MFA's Security Policy
and Non-proliferation Deputy Department Head, Gabor Horvath,
January 15. Both expressed appreciation for the ref A's
clarifying points and acknowledged the importance of
continued, unwavering support for ISAF efforts in
Afghanistan. Horvath expressed interest in further
information as to what impact the proposed ISAF transition
plan would have on the Hungarian PRT in Baghlan province,
stating that he would follow up with the Hungarian Permanent
Representative at NATO.

2. (SBU) In response to ref A point on the upcoming Defense
Ministerial in Istanbul February 4, Bali reiterated Hungary's
offer to add 200 troops in 2010 outlined in ref C. Bali was
unaware that the Prime Minister told the Ambassador January
14 that the number will increase to 235 (septel), but
confirmed that the Prime Minister and Finance Minister had
recently met to source funding for the additional troops from
2010 budget reserves.

3. (SBU) Turning to the ref B proposed meeting with D/SRAP
Paul Jones at the January 25-27 PRT conference in Prague,
Horvath said that Eszter Sandorfi, MFA's NATO Section Head
and Deputy Secretary of the GOH Cabinet's PRT Committee, will
lead Hungary's delegation and would gladly participate in the
closed, pre-conference session.
KOUNALAKIS

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