News

On 26 November, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitiekūnas welcomed the participants of the international conference “Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan: Today and Beyond”.

“The countries gathered here today have assumed a major responsibility.  Together with Afghanistan, we have chosen to help build a secure, democratic and self-sustaining state, to assist the Government in extending its authority across the country, to facilitate a stable and secure environment for enabling reconstruction and development,” stated Minister P.Vaitiekūnas.

Minister P.Vaitiekūnas indicated that the greatest attention should be drawn to the Afghan people.

“We must respect their culture, history and faith and understand what role traditional institutions can play in Afghanistan’s future. This will only strengthen our joint efforts to improve the well-being of ordinary Afghans,” P.Vaitiekūnas emphasized.

Since 2005, Lithuania has been leading the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan. This, according to the Head of Lithuanian diplomacy, is one of the most important international commitments of our country. In 2007, Lithuania tripled its development assistance budget for Afghanistan, allotting 4 m Litas to it and is looking into the possibility to increase this amount even further next year.

On 25 November, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs P.Vaitiekūnas and Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas met with Minister for Local Governance of the Government of Afghanistan Ghulam Jalani Popal, who coordinates the activities of provinces and supervises Provincial Reconstruction Teams, and discussed Lithuania’s financial support as well as the projects under implementation in the province of Ghor in Afganistan.

The Head of Afghanistan’s delegation thanked Lithuania and its people for the assistance to the reconstruction of the province of Ghor in Afghanistan. He also thanked Lithuanian soldiers who help to guarantee security in this country. G.J.Popal expressed certitude that Lithuania would continue the reconstruction activities in Afghanistan.

Speaking about Afghanistan’s reconstruction needs, the Head of Afghanistan’s delegation indicated that Afghanistan’s speedier development is hampered by inefficient infrastructure of roads and air ports. Therefore, Afghanistan expects the international community to support the road building.

Lithuania provides financial support to the projects that aim at improving professional skills of the local administration in the province of Ghor, education and providing better healthcare.

During the conference, more than a hundred representatives from 23 countries and 4 international organizations, such as the NATO, International Security Assistance Force, the European Union and the United Nations, discuss the development and integration of the activities of Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) of various countries in Afghanistan in the areas of security, good governance and development.

The conference is organized by two countries leading Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan: Lithuania and Canada. Lithuania leads a PRT in the western part of Afghanistan, and Canada leads one in the southern part of Afghanistan.