Hungary calls for UN's more active role in Iraq

About a year ago, Hungary was among eight countries that signed a letter, supporting the United States operations in Iraq. They offered troops for the stabilisation force. Now as the handover of power in Iraq from a US to an Iraqi led government approaches, a different letter has been sent by Hungarian Foreign Minister László Kovács to the American Secretary of State and to the United Nations Security Council. It calls for a more active role for the United Nations in Iraq. We asked Foreign Ministry spokesman, Tamás Tóth, if this marks a shift in Hungarian foreign policy:

Iraq, photo: CTK

"Not at all. I think that Hungarian foreign policy is very balanced. A couple of letters were sent to different authorities and to different personalities, among them US Secretary of State Colin Powell, and also to various members of the UN Security Council. The letter to Colin Powell stated very clearly that Hungary stands firm with the United States and all its allies in the process of building stability and democracy in Iraq and in this letter, the Hungarian Foreign Minister also expressed his convention that those abuses which were found out lately in Iraq in the treatment of POWs will not be neglected and that those who are found guilty will be brought to justice and those who hope that the US authorities will take the necessary measures to prevent such crimes in the future. But again in this letter, the Hungarian Foreign Minister states that Hungary supports the increased role of the United Nations in the Iraq conflict and that is the other half of what I call the balanced policy of Hungary towards Iraq."

I think it's not common in Hungarian foreign policy and in diplomacy as well, to send letters to the UN Secretary General and the Speaker of the UN Security Council. What does Hungary expect from the letters and has there been any feedback or reaction?

"Yes, you are quite right that it's not very common but I wouldn't also say it's very uncommon. What we expected from this letter was to help create a new Security Council resolution and we consider that as one of the allies participating in the Iraqi process, Hungary has the right to express its views on how a new UN Security Council resolution should be shaped. In this letter we state that we would like to see, in general, a more active participation of the United Nations and the specialised agencies in the future in a post-conflict Iraq, in helping the functioning of the Iraqi public administration, providing electoral assistance in the future, and so on."