LITHUANIAN LED GHOR PROVINCIAL RECONSTRUCTION TEAM WAS HELD UP AS AN EXAMPLE IN WASHINGTON
Continuing with their visit to Washington Lithuanian Ministers of Foreign Affairs and National Defence Petras Vaitiekūnas and Juozas Olekas met with Deputy Secretary of Defence Gordon England on 8 August. The officials discussed important issues of international security policy.
On behalf of the USA G.England thanked Lithuania for an especially solid contribution to the international operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, fighting against international terrorism. Lithuania was labelled as one of the most reliable allies.
During the meeting Lithuanian ministers informed the representatives of the USA that Lithuania would continue to contribute to the international operation in Iraq and would keep sending military troops to participate in the Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The Deputy Secretary of Defence assured that the USA would support the common objective of the Baltic States to maintain the NATO air police mission for the Baltic States until 2018.
It was also agreed that the USA would consider the possibilities to assist Lithuania in preparing and financing development projects of strategic importance in Ghor Province, Afghanistan, where Lithuania leads a Provincial Reconstruction Team. The representatives of the USA once again positively evaluated Lithuania’s efforts to stabilize the situation in Ghor Province and held up this Provincial Reconstruction Team as an example.
During the meeting the missile defence, the upcoming meeting of NATO defence ministers in Vilnius and the alliance summit in Bucharest, as well as other issues were also discussed.
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