No. 1.  (30/01/96)     THE IFOR MILITARY OPERATIONS AND HUNGARY

  October-November 1995: Negotiations in Dayton between the opposing Bosnian parties. The peace plan includes military tasks (separation of the opposing parties, implementation of international military forces in the demilitarized zones - IFOR) and political-economic-humanitarian tasks (re-establishing of peaceful relations; international financial contribution to reconstruction).
  On 14 December 1995 the General Framework Agreement was signed in Paris and the following day the UN Security Council passed its resolution No. 1031. In order to implement the agreement these two documents order the build-up and deployment of IFOR forces. It also states that the UN assigns the peace enforcing tasks to NATO whereas for the re-organization of political, economic and humanitarian relations the European Union will be to back up.
  In November 1995, the representatives of the American and the Hungarian Governments started negotiations on the marching through and temporary stationing in Hungary of IFOR forces.
  On 22 November 1995, an inter-departmental committee was established by a government resolution for the organization and conduct of these tasks.
  On 28 November 1995, the Parliament passed the Law No. CII of 1995 on the "Agreement between the member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty and other participating countries of the "Partnership for Peace" on the status of their forces together with its Supplementary Protocol on its confirmation and announcement" (this is the so-called SOFA Agreement: Status of Forces Agreement). The same day the Parliament by its Resolution No. 112/1995 permitted the IFOR forces to march through and temporary station on Hungarian territory.
  On 27 November 1995, General George A. Joulwan, commander-in-chief of the European allied armed forces, pointed out that they would have appreciated if Hungary could have supported the peace creation process by engineer and health units as well.
  On 4 December 1995, the representatives of the Hungarian and American government signed the Agreement of Supply. This was the first of the agreements which had the purpose of serving to ensure the operation and to prepare the legal regulations of the American base in Taszár.
Two groups of agreements have been concluded since then: one of them includes the agreements concluded with NATO (on the marching through and temporary stationing of  troops and participation of the Hungarian engineer unit) whereas the other covers all agreements concluded with the Americans (on the build-up of the logistic base in Taszár, Hungary, agreements on supply, agreements on customs and crossing the border, etc.). These agreements were made on the example of the usual contracts by NATO. The American armed forces concluded agreements of supply and hire in the amount of approximately 6 billion Forints.
  On 5 December 1995 the Parliament determined the framework of deployment of the Hungarian engineer battalion.
  On 6 December 1995 the Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and the interim General Secretary of NATO signed the agreement of marching through and temporary stationing of IFOR forces.
  On 22 December 1995 NATO and the Hungarian government (Minister of Defence) signed the mutual understanding statement on supporting IFOR's "JOINT ENDEAVOUR" operation.
  On 24 January 1996 the government passed the participation and financial agreement relating to the Hungarian unit. Through this the list of agreements between NATO and Hungary became complete. In the agreements made with NATO and the United States, Hungary undertook to guarantee the same conditions to the armed forces of all states participating in IFOR forces as well as to the non-member countries of NATO (Russian, Czech, Polish, Danish, Swedish, etc. IFOR contingents). That is what the Parliament gave its authorization for. At present negotiations are being held about the establishment of a new logistic base in the sector of Pécs for the Northern brigade (consisting of Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Danish and Polish forces).
  By 29 January 1996 more than 47 thousand IFOR troops were doing their task under the command of NATO. SHAPE, the Supreme Headquarters of Allied Powers in Europe is in charge for the operation. The commander of seat of operations is Admiral Leighton Smith, commander of the Southern European allied armed forces. The army corps headquarters of rapid reaction forces and the three division headquarters have been set up in the sectors. The withdrawal of heavy armament by the opposing parties as well as the exchange of prisoners of war continue and have almost finished. On the basis of experiences drawn from the execution of the tasks the re-composition of troops continues as situations require. The biggest danger is mines and engineer forces are needed. New countries also volunteered beside the 15 NATO member and 16 non-member countries, like Switzerland, although she has kept away from peacekeeping tasks so far.
  On 3 February 1996 the subordination of the Hungarian battalion will take place. In the future the commander of the British division in the subordination of which the Hungarian contingent is operating has to determine the tasks and ensure the security of the battalion. (The Hungarian battalion is participating in peace making operations to enforce the Dayton agreements.)

(Based on materials of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence, and those of NATO)