May 11, delegation of representatives of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, Ministries of National Defence and Foreign Affairs started a ten-day visit to Afghanistan under the lead of the Chief of Joint Staff Brig. Gen. Algis Vaičeliūnas. During the trip the delegation is planned to visit Lithuanian troops in service in Afghanistan, meet with the EU Representative in Afghanistan, the Head of the Special Mission of the Republic of Lithuania in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and leadership of the NATO International Security Assistance Force.
In Kabul Lithuanian delegation will pay a visit to ISAF headquarters where the head of the delegation Brig. Gen. A. Vaičeliūnas is expected to meet with the Chief of Staff ISAF Lt. Gen. Bruno Karsdorf, Maj. Gen. Claudio Mora Deputy Chief of Staff-Stability, ISAF, and other high-ranking ISAF officers. In the meetings progress of the Afghanistan operation from Stability to Transition phase will be addressed along with perspectives of ongoing and planned stabilisation operations of the international forces and plans of training Afghan Security Forces.
In Kabul members of the Lithuanian delegation will meet with the EU Special Representative in Afghanistan Vygaudas Ušackas and the Head of the Lithuanian Special Mission in Afghanistan Valteris Baliukonis, they are expected to touch upon the possibilities of expanding EUPOL in Ghowr province guarded by the Lithuanian-led PRT to the end of better training of police, procurator's office's and judicial officers.
„One of fundamental points in our discussion will be training of the Afghan Security Forces - a keystone element strongly accentuated by the international community because only well-trained forces are capable of ensuring stability and security in the country. We (Lithuania) in our turn will contribute to training the forces - a point for discussion on the nearest work visit's agenda," commented Brig. Gen. A. Vaičeliūnas before departing to Afghanistan to meet with leading officers of the NATO Training Mission Afghanistan (NTM-A).
Later at the Regional Command West (RC-W) based in Herat, western Afghanistan Brig. Gen. A. Vaičeliūnas will discuss the influence of operations undertaken and planned in the Western region to Ghowr province and possibilities to deploy units of the Afghan National Army in Ghowr.
Afterwards the Lithuanian delegation will take part in the rotation ceremony of the military element of the PRT in Chaghcharan.
At the Regional Command South (RC-S) Lithuanian delegation is planned to meet with commander of the special forces deployed in the region, and with troops of the Lithuanian Special Operations Squadron serving in the region.
By the middle of May the 10th rotation of Lithuania's peacekeepers based on the 1 st Territorial Unit of Dainava Military District of the National Defence Volunteer Force will be replaced by PRT-11 formed mainly of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Kęstutis Motorised Infantry Battalion.
Lithuanian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team of Ghowr based in Chaghcharan, provincial capital, is a joint military-civilian mission operating under the NATO's International Security Assistance Force. Lithuania took responsibility for the PRT of Ghowr province in summer of 2005. The main objective of the PRT mission is to assist the Central Government of Afghanistan to extend its authority throughout the province, to ensure security and to help built environment favourable for provincial reconstruction.
Along with around 150 civilians and military from Lithuania representatives of Denmark, Georgia, Japan, USA, Romania and Ukraine serve in the Lithuanian-led Chaghcharan Provincial Reconstruction Team.
PR Officer Capt. Marius Varna of the Secretariat of the Joint Staff
Picture from the archive of the Joint Staff
