Hungary's EU presidency in 2011 will offer a good opportunity for improving the country's image but will not be a means to driving its own agenda, a security policy expert told national daily Nepszava on Friday.

"It is an illusion to think that holding the EU presidency will allow Hungary to push through programmes of its own express interest. It is more realistic to see a chance for winning over more influential states to issues that are of concern in the Central and Eastern European region," Peter Talas, Director of the Institute for Strategic and Defence Studies, said.

Spain, Belgium and Hungary are holding the EU presidency as a trio from early 2010 to mid-2011, with Hungary taking over the presidency on January 1, 2011.

The presidency will become an important tool for image-building and provide the other EU members with a more realistic picture of Hungary's achievements and challenges. In addition, it may bring the EU closer to the Hungarian public, Talas said.

As far as military and defence policy is concerned, Hungary's EU presidency will probably have to focus on developing rapid reaction capabilities and strengthening the role of the European Defence Agency. Hungary, too, will have to manage the ongoing military missions and possibly coordinate the launch of further ones, Talas told the paper.

Talas said that Hungary should use the presidency as an opportunity to train for new EU missions, such as the one in Africa. In his view, Hungary cannot allow itself to send merely a few soldiers and limit its involvement to a symbolic presence.

Hungarian Chief of Staff Laszlo Tombol said last November that three Hungarian staff officers were already staying in Djibouti to study the conditions on the Horn of Africa.