News

On 19 March in Vilnius, Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Evaldas Ignatavičius and Political Director of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vytautas Leškevičius held a meeting with Governor of Afghanistan’s Ghor province Abdullah Haiwad and discussed with him further perspectives for partnership between Lithuania and Ghor province.

Ignatavičius stressed that Lithuania would continue to make efforts to strengthen the cooperation with central and local government in Afghanistan and with Lithuania’s international partners. He said that Lithuania supported a transition to full Afghan responsibility and would work together to find solutions for the development issues that are important to Ghor province.

The Vice-Minister expressed hope that in May nine provincial districts would be included in the process of transition of responsibility for the Ghor province to the Afghan authorities, thus making the entire province with its capital Chaghcharan subject to the process. Leškevičius and the Governor discussed the processes of transition and reconciliation, possibilities to train and instruct the Afghan security forces in the province, long-term perspectives for social protection and economic development, and the preparation for the seminar on the development of Ghor province in Kabul.

The meeting stressed the growing role of the provincial administration when enlisting financial support from Afghanistan's central government and the international community. The participants of the meeting discussed further perspectives for cooperation between Lithuania and Ghor province aiming to contribute to the efforts of the international community to ensure lasting peace and development in Afghanistan up to 2014 and beyond.

Representatives from the Foreign Ministry presented development cooperation action plan and reiterated Lithuania’s commitment to support the strengthening of administrative capacity of officials in Ghor province, the rural development and improve public health in Ghor province.

During his visit to Lithuania, Haiwad also met with the Lithuanian Minister of National Defence, the Minister of Agriculture, members of the Seimas (Parliament), foreign policy advisors to the Prime Minister. The Governor also visited the Lithuanian Institute of Public Administration.

The Lithuanian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Ghor province is a joint civilian-military mission, part of NATO's International Security Assistance Force, which started functioning in Ghor Province in summer 2005. Its main task is to help Afghanistan’s government expand its authority throughout the province, provide security and establish proper conditions for the reconstruction of the province.