According to General Benko, living in peaceful coexistence is the only solution, and the Hungarian troops are meant to be available for creating this coexistence for Hungary and large national communities. He thanked every soldier for assuming these tasks and doing their best in carrying them out.

The Chief of Defence pointed out that it cannot be an accident that the Heroes’ Day and the Peacekeepers’ Day are close to each other, as the soldiers who died in the First and the Second World War and those who lost their lives in carrying out peacekeeping tasks are all heroes. He added that the military community is obliged to remember those heroes who sacrificed their lives for the welfare of other nations or for protecting their comrades.

In April, Hungary announced that it will send up to 150 troops to Iraq to contribute to the U.S.-led effort against Islamic State in the country. Hungarian soldiers will serve as a protection force at the Erbil training center in Northern Iraq until the end of 2017. Other protective duties were under consultation, according to the resolution, which said the U.S had “unambiguously expressed its need for alliance as to Hungary’s contribution.”