Hungary participates in EU-level crisis management exercise
Text: Ministry of Defence | Photo: Ákos Pintér | 10:46 October 31, 2024Conducted in two phases, the European Union’s Integrated Resolve 2024 Parallel and Coordinated Exercise (EU IR24 PACE) has recently ended. During the multi-phase activity, the EU and national response capability and crisis management processes were being tested, especially in the light of the fact that today the global security situation requires the building of high-level resilience within the national and allied systems.
In the first phase of the international exercise running between 30 September and 11 October, experts nominated from Hungary’s foreign consulates, as well as from the Common Security Policy and Enlargement Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Defence Policy Department of the Ministry of Defence were practicing decision-making procedures related to the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) of the EU.
In the second phase, between 21-25 October, the central state administration, law enforcement and national security organs of the European Union and the member states involved in crisis management responded to fictitious injects inserted by the EU Exercise Directing Staff. The scenarios were mainly connected with national and EU-level complex hybrid challenges and operations. While reacting to the imitated events, the participants used the tools of the EU’s Integrated Political Crisis Response (IPCR) mechanism, with special regard to the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
On the part of Hungary, the national director of the exercise, appointed at the request of the minister of defence, was MoD Permanent State Secretary Dr. Árpád Vidoven; the military professional director was Brigadier General János Somogyi, Deputy Director of Staff (Operations) of the HDF General Staff. Given the comprehensive character of the exercise, its co-director was Dr. András Péter Sztáray, State Secretary for Security Policy and Energy Security at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, whereas the professional director for national security affairs was Miklós Márvány, Deputy State Secretary for the Supervision of Civil National Security Services at the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister; its professional director for EU affairs was Dr. Balázs Péter Molnár, Deputy State Secretary for European Policy at the Ministry of European Union Affairs. Lieutenant Colonel Péter Grósz, Head of MoD Defence Administration Department was responsible for the preparation and conduct of the exercise.
Speaking at a closing conference held on 25 October, MoD Permanent State Secretary Dr. Árpád Vidoven, National Director, EU IR24 PACE said thanks to the exercise directing staff and the participants of the exercise for the planning and successful accomplishment of the tasks.
Press release of the Ministry of Defence
