News

On 10 September in Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan, Chief Counsellor at Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Valdemaras Sarapinas and head of the Special Mission in Afghanistan Ambassador Dainius Junevičius met with Japan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Shigeyuki Hiroki.

Lithuania’s representatives thanked Japan for its input into the activities of the Ghor Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and expressed hope that this successful cooperation would be continued. Representatives of Japan were acquainted with the recently endorsed Strategy of the Activities of the Republic of Lithuania in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan for 2009-2013.

The projects that are currently financed and implemented by Japan in the Ghor Province and perspectives for Japan to participate in the PRT activities in the Ghor Province were discussed during the meeting.

Representatives from Japan joined the Lithuania-led PRT in the Ghor Province in May 2009. In the Ghor Province, Japan dedicates key attention to the education and development of remote regions. In Chagcharan, the capital of the Ghor Province, literacy courses for Afghans started on 6 September 2009. The Government of Japan has allotted 2 million U.S. dollars to this project.

On 12 September in Kabul, Lithuania’s delegation met with Sweden’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Svante Kilander and representatives of NATO as well as International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

During the meetings, Afghanistan’s recent presidential and provincial council elections, security and political issues related to the elections, measures of strengthening and making the activities of the international community in Afghanistan more effective were discussed. Sweden’s Ambassador acquainted Lithuania’s representatives with the activities that are carried out and planned in Afghanistan by the current Swedish EU Presidency and possibilities for future cooperation while rendering assistance.