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Distinguished Ministers, Ambassadors, Generals,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have the distinct pleasure of welcoming you to this Workshop, organized by Lithuania and Canada, on the present and future role of Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan.

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.

Our focus must remain on 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. The road to improving that well-being is not an easy one. It involves international commitment and Afghan ownership across a broad spectrum of areas:  from good governance and the rule of law to respect for human rights, from access to education, healthcare and other social services to poverty reduction, from the fight against terrorism to counter-narcotic efforts.

Lithuania is proud to shoulder its share of this responsibility. Since 2005, Lithuania has been leading a NATO ISAF Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan. Our engagement there is one of Lithuania’s biggest international commitments. In 2007, Lithuania tripled its development assistance budget for Afghanistan. We are now working within Government and Parliament to increase this amount even further next year.

Our PRT is a key mechanism for delivering my country’s support to the Government of Afghanistan and for integrating our military and civilian resources from different government agencies. Our PRT is a multinational effort, which involves civilian and military personnel, not only from Lithuania, but Croatia, Denmark, Georgia, Iceland, Ukraine, and the United States. I take this opportunity to also express our particular appreciation for assistance to Ghowr Province provided by the Government of Japan and the European Commission, in cooperation with the PRT.

Unfortunately, the province of Ghowr ranks Number One in a number of indicators: poverty, geographical isolation, under 5-child mortality rate. Though relatively stable, it lacks the attention of the central authorities in Kabul and is overlooked by the international donor community. Nonetheless, we continue to promote the interests of Ghowr Province and to support the efforts of the Provincial Authorities.  They, like us, believe that investment in relative stability now will bring bigger dividends for the country’s future, especially if that investment is applied in partnership with local authorities and with local needs in mind.  

Arguably, the biggest challenge to socio-economic development in Afghanistan remains its poor road infrastructure. Lithuania is committed to mobilizing support for a strategic road project in Ghowr, which would open a corridor across the province.  Though arguably the toughest road project in the country, it would resonate nation-wide, as it would represent true connectivity from West to East. 

In conclusion, a few acknowledgements:

I would like to extend a very warm and special welcome to the Afghan Delegation led by Minister Jelani Popal. We are determined to continue and strengthen our work on behalf of your country. We share your vision of a future Afghanistan that is secure, prosperous and sustainable. 

I express my particular gratitude to the Government of Canada for its partnership at this Workshop. Welcome to Head of Delegation Director-General Kerry Buck and her outstanding “Team Canada”, including our good friends Ambassador Claire Poulin and the Head of the Embassy Office in Vilnius, Mr. Habib Massoud.  We greatly appreciate your co-chairmanship and hospitality at this Workshop.

A warm welcome goes out to all national and institutional representatives. I wish you an informative and productive event. I trust that observations made over the next day-and-a-half will contribute to our unity of effort in the field for the benefit of Afghanistan and its people.

Last, but not least, my final word of recognition and encouragement goes to the driving force in Vilnius behind this Workshop, Ambassador Gintė Damušis, Lithuania’s Coordinator for Afghanistan.