Past Events 2007
Ambassador Joins Defense Minister in Visit to Hungarian Troops in Kosovo
At the invitation of Hungarian Defense Minister Imre Szekeres, Ambassador Foley accompanied him on a holiday visit to the Hungarian Defense Forces Battalion deployed to Pristina, Kosovo. During the 15-16 December visit, the Ambassador joined Min. Szekeres in meetings with the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) Special Envoy, H.C. Joachim Ruecker (Germany), and KFOR Commander, Lieutenant General Xavier de Marnhac (France).
In a meeting with the troops, Ambassador Foley underlined the "…important contribution to KFOR and to the NATO Alliance" they make, and Minister Szekeres took the occasion to announce a larger role for the troops: leading a multi-national maneuvering Battalion in western Kosovo beginning next summer. The Hungarian Defense Forces will share the new mission with Italian and Slovenian troops, and it will mark the first time that Hungary will lead an international unit on foreign soil. Ambassador Foley also joined the Minister and Hungarian soldiers at KFOR Headquarters in Film City, Pristina, for a holiday meal.