On 26 October Hungarian Chief of Defence Gen. Dr. Tibor Benkő attended a conference held in Madrid with the participation of Chiefs of Defence from countries of the international coalition against the Islamic State (IS).

The topics of the conference of Chiefs of Defence from 29 countries were the assessment of the coalition’s activity and the setting out of future tasks. At the meeting, special emphasis was placed on the new situation arising after the Russian intervention in Syria and the possible ways of dealing with it.

The coalition acknowledges that the Russian intervention in Syria has significantly changed the dynamics of coalition-led military operations. At the same time, it has declared that the inherent potentials of this new situation must be recognized in planning the coalition campaign, as these may have a role in the Islamic State’s losing ground and in working out a political solution to the conflict. Finding a common ground between the coalition forces and Russian interests is a precondition for reaching a sustainable political settlement in Syria.

The leaders attending the conference agreed that the Islamic State is a global challenge, which is trying to extend its presence and influence to other regions such as Libya, for example. The coalition continues to explore the possibilities for cutting the channels of communications of the Islamic State and for securing the borders of states affected by the terrorist organization. In the future, the coalition force will pay special attention to those factors that ensure the Islamic State’s supply and sources of income.

Supporting the efforts of the Iraqi government in building the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) remains a priority goal. On 14 April 2015 the Hungarian Parliament approved the Hungarian Defence Forces’ troop contribution to the coalition. In Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan, the Iraqi/Kurdish military mission (Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve training program) is performing its tasks according to plans. These include building partner capacity (BPC), force protection and troop escort. The German- and Italian-led Kurdistan Training Coordination Centre (KTCC) in Erbil gives international assistance for the capacity building of Kurdish Peshmerga forces in the fight against the Islamic State.

(Ministry of Defence/MTI)