Chief of Staff of Hungarian Defence Forces Command receives Spain’s ambassador and Spanish defence attaché to Budapest
Text: Hungarian Defence Forces Command | Photo: Kinga Szováthy | 13:37 December 1, 2021On Tuesday, 30 November Lieutenant General Zoltán Mihócza, Chief of Staff, Hungarian Defence Forces Command received in his office Spanish Ambassador HE Ms. Anunciada Fernández de Córdova and Colonel Juan Escrigas Rodríguez, Spain’s defence attaché accredited to Budapest. The visit is an outstanding one because it was almost ten years ago that the last military meeting at such a high level took place between the two countries.
At the meeting, the two sides reviewed the possibilities of Hungarian–Spanish military diplomacy relations and consulted about the scope of future cooperation. During the discussion, the Spanish side spoke highly of the outstanding Hungarian presence in international military organizations stationed in Spain. Due to its geostrategic position, Spain acts as a bridge connecting different continents, cultures and groups of countries.
During the introductory discussion, the issue of tackling illegal migration also came up. Migration presents Spain with a challenge, as the migration routes on land and at sea belonging to the Western Mediterranean region pass through several territories of Spain. There is a great migration pressure on the Western Mediterranean route, mainly from the direction of North and Sub-Saharan Africa. The migration pressure on Hungary from the south also sets a major task for the Hungarian Defence Forces, and for this reason, the two countries adopt a common position in this area: the solution must be found at the source of the problem, and the help must be taken there. In this connection, Lieutenant General Zoltán Mihócza said that Hungary is committed to maintaining stability and peace, and therefore, as of next year, the Hungarian Defence Forces are to carry out tasks of advice, support and mentoring of forces in combat in Task Force TAKUBA, which is part of Operation Barkhane conducted in the area of Mali and Niger.
To close the discussion, the two sides agreed that they consider it very important to exchange experiences and to better exploit possibilities in practical cooperation. Besides, they are open to building useful professional partnerships.
The Chief of Staff of the HDFC wished Colonel Juan Escrigas Rodríguez every success with the tasks ahead of him, and expressed his hope that Ambassador HE Ms. Anunciada Fernández de Córdova’s continuing work will promote the further development of diplomatic relations between the two countries in the future.
