News

On 20 July at the International Conference on Afghanistan in Kabul, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis affirmed that Lithuania would continue fulfilling its commitments and contributing to the stabilization and development of Ghor Province.Minister A.Ažubalis called on the Afghan Government and the international community to dedicate more attention to such relatively safe and stable regions like the Province of Ghor, aiming to ensure balanced development of the entire country.

The Minister said that he valued the arrangements to build the East-West road connecting Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, and the city of Herat. A large section of this road would run through Ghor Province and would allow improving the quality of communication with the country’s two main cities, and would boost both social and economic development of the province.

Minister A.Ažubalis highlighted the need to coordinate separate efforts by donor countries, NATO, the European Union and the United Nations, as well as to make better use of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) potential for the provision of support to Afghanistan and Central Asian countries in the areas of border management, election standards, counter-narcotics efforts, training of military forces and civilian capacity building.

The conference, which was attended by delegates from more than 75 countries and international organizations, aimed to discuss and endorse the Afghan Government-led plan for improved social and economic development, governance, and guaranteeing stability.

The results of the international conference are expected to lay a firm foundation for creating the right conditions for an effective process of the transfer of responsibility to Afghanistan’s Government.

Lithuania has led the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Ghor Province since 2005. The military and civilian personnel from Croatia, Denmark, Georgia, Japan, Romania, Ukraine and the U.S.A. also serve and work in the PRT in Ghor. Around 150 Lithuanian soldiers are deployed in Ghor Province and a squadron serves in the South of Afghanistan.