May 17, formal rotation ceremony of the Military Contingent of the Lithuanian-led Ghowr PRT took place at peacekeepers' camp in Chaghcharan, the tenth rotation was replaced by PRT-11.
Brig. Gen. Algis Vaičeliūnas, Chief of the Joint Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, Ambassador Valteris Baliukonis, Head of the Lithuanian Special Mission in Afghanistan, Governor of Ghowr Sayed Mohammad Iqbal Muneeb, and leadership of provincial administration attended the ceremony of contingents' rotation.
During the formal transfer of mission ceremony Commander PRT-10 Col. Gediminas Macijauskas handed over the PRT Commander's mandate to Col. Gintaras Smaliukas, Commander PRT-10.
Brig. Gen. A. Vaičeliūnas presented flags of the Republic of Lithuania and NATO to Commander PRT-11 Col. G. Smaliukas. General congratulated the contingent with ending the mission and wished success to the newly deployed rotation in continuing good relations with provincial administration and local people as well as in maintaining an important role in supporting Afghan people in reconstructing their country during the coming six months of service.
„We understand fully the challenges that the preceding rotation had to respond to and now we will have to face. Lithuanian peacekeepers are warmly welcomed in Ghowr province of Afghanistan, which is a great background for positive results of cooperation with local administration. We will proceed with ongoing work and will make endeavour to win a better future for people of Ghowr", said Commander PRT-11 Col. G. Smaliukas.
In the ceremony Governor Sayed Mohammad Iqbal Muneeb thanked the international community, PRT leadership and troops for the assistance rendered to the province and close cooperation with local administration.
In the rotation ceremony Lithuanian troops farewelled their Croatian colleagues. Commanding officer of the Croatian Military Contingent in Afghanistan Col. Berislav Jezidzic read out a letter of the Chief of Defence of Croatia in which he thanked leadership of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and PRT for successful cooperation and confidence in the multinational mission in Ghowr. In the letter the top military leader of the Croatian Armed Forces stressed that the opportunity of participating in the ISAF mission in Afghanistan was an important milestone for Croatian forces on the way to membership in the Alliance.
Croatian troops served with the Lithuanian-led PRT since 2006. Croatia is withdrawing its capabilities from Ghowr to amass strength in another province. The withdrawal will not affect Lithuanian-led PRT as it was prepared for in advance: PRT was restructured, functions and tasks of divisions were redistributed.
On the eve of rotation the name of Sgt. Arūnas Jarmalavičius, Lithuanian soldier killed in 2008 in Ghowr, was bestowed on the PRT club. The club is a spot for socialisation of Lithuania and foreign partners' civilian and military personnel.
The tenth rotation of PRT was formed mainly of the 1st Territorial Unit of Dainava Military District of the National Defence Volunteer Forces. The shift started the six-month service in November last year.
The new rotation is based on personnel of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Kęstutis Motorised Infantry Battalion. It is the first division of the Lithuanian Armed Forces to form a second PRT. More than a half of PRT-11 already have experience of international deployments to the Balkan region, Iraq and Afghanistan.
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.
PIO for PRT-11 Capt. Darius Toleikis.
Pictures of PRT-11
