July 3-4, delegation led by Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius paid a visit to the base of Chaghcharan Provincial Reconstruction Team in Ghor.
Prime Minister's delegation included Rasa Juknevičienė, Minister of National Defence, Mr. Evaldas Ignatavičius, Foreign Vice Minister, Mr. Emanuelis Zingeris, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Parliament, HE Ambassador of the Republic of Greece in Lithuania Constantine Catsambis, Maj Gen Vytautas Žukas, Commander of the Lithuanian Land Force, other representatives of the Government, Ministries of National Defence and of Foreign Affairs.
On the first day of the visit the delegation met with civilian and military personnel serving in the PRT base. In the beginning the guests were taken for a tour in the territories in the vicinity of Chaghcharan. Later they listened to a briefing where tasks, structure and base of the PRT, security situation in Ghor and Chaghcharan, and provincial reconstruction projects developed by Lithuania and international partners, were introduced.
In the evening civilian and military members of PRT met with the Lithuanian delegation: the guests delivered addresses on the occasion of Mindaugas Coronation Day and presented decorations for the military personnel. Prime Minister congratulated peacekeepers celebrating birthdays around the date, troops had a chance to ask questions and communicate with the delegation.
Later a famous Lithuanian singer Aleksandas Makejavas who came together with the delegation performed in the PRT club. The singer performed many popular songs about military service, congratulated servicemembers on the approaching Mindaugas Coronation and State Day, signed autographs and posed for pictures.
On June 4 Prime Minister's delegation drove to Chaghcharan where they met with Governor of Ghor Abdullah Haiwad and took part in the opening ceremony of reconstruction of the Ghor hospital, a project financed by Lithuania and Greece.
Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius, Minister of National Defence and other members of delegation also met with civilian and military representatives of the United States serving in Chaghcharan PRT and congratulated them with the Independence Day.
At the moment the 13th shift of the Provincial Reconstruction Team conducts duty in Afghanistan. The rotation is formed on the basis of the King Mindaugas Mechanised Infantry Battalion for a second time providing personnel for the half-year service in Afghanistan.
The Lithuanian-led PRT in Ghor is a joint civilian and military mission, a part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which was deployed in summer of 2005. The key goal of the mission is to assist Afghan government to extend authority in the province, ensure security and create environment for provincial development.
Lithuanian military and civilian personnel in Ghor cooperate with representatives of Denmark, Georgia, Japan, USA, Poland, Finland, and Ukraine.
Text and pictures by: PIO for PRT-13 1st Lt Paulius Babilas
