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Major General Ferenc Kajári, Deputy Chief of the Defense Staff, received Colonel Scott Christensen, Chief of the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC), on September 5 for an introductory visit, reports Honvedelem.hu.
The Deputy Chief of the Defense Staff praised the 30 years of positive relations between the Office of Defense Cooperation and the Hungarian Defense Forces, providing significant assistance in the development of the Hungarian Defense Forces, from the education and training of officers and non-commissioned officers, to the acquisition of equipment, and the development of new capabilities such as special operations capabilities.
Major General Ferenc Kajári (R) and Colonel Scott Christensen. Photo via honvedelem.hu/Szabó Lajos zászlós
Major General Ferenc Kajári expressed his openness to continue and further develop the cooperation where possible, and wished Colonel Christensen a successful military service for the challenges ahead.
The Office of Defense Cooperation is responsible for promoting, developing, coordinating, and executing the following programs with Hungary:
The U.S. Embassy building in Budapest. Photo via Wikipedia
The agreement is a bilateral inter-state defense pact that provides a framework for strengthening cooperation and implementing military improvements at the three bases. Based on this, in Kecskemét and Pápa, infrastructure and technological improvements will be made for the air force, while in Tata (northwestern Hungary) and Várpalota (western Hungary), development programs will benefit the ground forces.
Later, at a ceremony at the U.S. Embassy in Budapest on December 15, 2021, U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Marc Dillard and Colonel Tibor Babos, Ministerial Commissioner for Defense Cooperation Agreement Implementation, signed a memorandum recognizing two new implementation agreements under the DCA. These designate the Tata and Várpala garrison and training areas as specific facilities and areas. The agreements, following the designation of the Kecskemét and Pápa air bases as designated facilities signed in July 2021, represent another important step towards the full implementation of the 2019 US-Hungary DCA.
Via honvedelem.hu, Featured image via honvedelem.hu/Búz Csaba százados