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On 4 January, a solemn ceremony was held in Chaghcharan, the capital of Ghor province in central Afghanistan, and the transfer of responsibility for the provincial capital and the surrounding district to the local government was officially launched. Head of the Lithuanian Special Mission in Afghanistan Justinas Bakūnas stressed that it was a symbolic, but very important step towards the transition of full responsibility for the administration of Ghor province to the Afghans.

“Starting today the provincial administration will be fully responsible for security and development of the city of Chaghcharan and the surrounding district. International partners will be your advisors and assistants. Afghanistan builds new democratic institutions and processes. You have no other alternative, but to develop, protect and preserve them yourselves”, Bakūnas said.

The Afghan National Army Band was performing when the Lithuanian flag was lowered and the flag of Afghanistan was hoisted instead, thus symbolically marking the official transfer of responsibility for Chaghcharan and the surrounding district.

The ceremony was also attended by Chairman of Afghanistan Transition Coordination Committee Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Commander, ISAF Regional Command-West Brigadier General Luciano Portolano.

On 27 November, President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai announced the second phase of security transition incorporating the city of Chaghcharan and the surrounding district. During the transition, international community will gradually transfer full responsibility for this country to the Government of Afghanistan. The transfer of responsibility is announced when the Afghan Government is certain about the preparation of the police and army in certain territories, the local authorities are capable of governing, and the development of economic and social activities is witnessed in the province.

The Lithuanian-led Province Reconstruction Team (PRT) is a joint civilian-military mission, which was launched in Ghor in summer of 2005. The main goal of the mission is to provide assistance for the Government of Afghanistan, to expand authority in the province, to ensure security and to create favourable conditions for the reconstruction of the province. Together with Lithuanian military and civilian personnel, the following countries contribute representatives to the Ghor PRT: Bulgaria, Georgia, Finland, Japan, Poland, Ukraine and the U.S.A.