News

On 15-17 October, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas is paying a working visit to Afghanistan. The Minister intends to meet with Minister of Foreign Affairs Rangin Dadfar Spanta of this country, the Minister of Finance Omar Zakhilwal, representatives of international organisations and the Lithuanian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and Lithuanian soldiers serving in Ghor.

The Minister will start his visit in Kabul, where he and the representatives of the central authorities and the international community will discuss perspectives of bilateral relations development between Lithuania and Afghanistan, the effort of Lithuania and the international community to prevent terrorism from spreading, to guarantee the stability of the strategically important Central Asian region, to comprehensively and eventually integrate Afghanistan into the world economy.

During the meetings, V.Ušackas plans to discuss the European Union’s Strategy for Afghanistan, the results of the election in Afghanistan and intends to draw attention of Afghanistan’s central government and the international community to the reconstruction and development of the Ghor Province.

Later the Minister will visit Chagcharan, where he will get acquainted with activities of the Lithuanian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Ghor Province, the projects that are being implemented and will meet with the Lithuanian and foreign soldiers, representatives from the local administration and will present Lithuania’s efforts to find international donors for the Ghor Province.

Together with head of the Lithuanian diplomacy, Members of the Seimas (Parliament) Valentinas Mazuronis and Egidijus Vareikis, also U.S. Ambassador Anne Elizabeth Derse and Ambassador of Hellenic Republic Constantine Catsambis are paying a visit to Afghanistan. The Minister and the Ambassadors will discuss a potential input of their countries into the reconstruction activities of the Ghor Province. 

This is the first bilateral visit of Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs to Afghanistan in the history of diplomatic relations between Lithuania and Afghanistan. Lithuania and Afghanistan have established diplomatic relations in 1930, and re-established them in 2005. In the same year, Lithuania started leading one of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan.