On Friday 27 April 2018, in a ceremony held at EUFOR Headquarters near Sarajevo, Brigadier General József Szpisják relinquished his position of Chief of Staff EUFOR. His successor, Brigadier General Gábor Horváth, who is also from the Hungarian Armed Forces, assumes the position with immediate effect.
Numerous distinguished visitors and delegates from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the International Community were present, including the Principal Deputy High Representative, Mr Dennis Hearne, Brigadier General Robert Huston, Commander of NATO Headquarters Sarajevo, and Brigadier General Zsolt Sandor, Deputy Commander of Joint Force Command in Hungary.
Commander EUFOR, Major General Martin Dorfer gave a speech during the ceremony, in which he highlighted how Brigadier General Szpisják's military knowledge and 'capacity to forge strong relationships with key military staffs and civilian organisations contributed significantly to the ongoing success of EUFOR'.
The new Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Horváth, will 'continue the cooperation at all possible levels with the state administration, Law Enforcement Agencies and Armed Forces of BiH in order to maintain the well-developed trust and confidence between them and EUFOR".
In his speech, Brigadier General Szpisják praised the cooperation and efforts of the many individuals, institutions and organizations who had worked with EUFOR in maintaining the safe and secure environment in BiH. He said: "It is my sincerest hope that this beautiful country and its friendly people consolidate their future within the Euro-Atlantic institutions. I wish all the people of BiH all the very best. I firmly believe that they deserve a progressive, prosperous and peaceful future."