News

On 20 July in Kabul, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis is attending the international conference on Afghanistan.At the conference, the Government of Afghanistan and the international community intend to start a new phase in the process of the transfer of responsibility for the country to Afghanistan’s Government (“Kabul Process”). The progress of the “Kabul Process” will be evaluated by foreign ministers annually.

This decision is closely connected to the key goals set out by President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai in the inaugural address of November 2009, decisions made at the London Conference in 2010 and mutual commitments of the international community and the Afghan Government.

The President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai, Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are participating in the conference in Kabul. Delegates from more than 70 countries, international and regional organizations are attending the event.

At the Kabul conference, the Government of Afghanistan and international community will endorse an Afghan Government-led plan for improved governance, social and economic development, and guaranteeing security.

By this plan, the Government of Afghanistan will commit to gradually take full responsibility for national security and the international community will promise to continue manifold support to the Afghan National Security Forces.

The Afghan Government is expected to make a decision at the conference to develop a special Afghan-led peace and reintegration programme. International Trust Fund would finance this programme, which aims to reintegrate 36 thousand former fighters into mainstream society within five years.

At the conference, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs intends to bring to the attention of Afghanistan’s central Government and donors the need to increase the share of aid to Ghor Province. He also intends to inform the participants of the event about Lithuania’s decision to host this autumn a conference on the transfer of responsibility for Afghanistan’s leadership and development to the Afghan people.

Minister A.Ažubalis will also suggest making better use of the potential of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in providing support to Afghanistan in the fields of border security, election organization, fight against narcotics, military and civilian training. Lithuania will chair the OSCE in 2011.

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.  

In the beginning of June at the meeting of special representatives for Afghanistan and Pakistan in Madrid, Afghan Minister of Finance Omar Zakhilwal thanked the international community for support to Afghanistan and named Chaghcharan, the capital of Ghor Province, as one of the positive examples. According to Afghan Minister of Finance, changes are obvious in Chaghcharan.