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Undersecretary of Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Laimonas Talat-Kelpša taking part the European Development Days underlined that not only donor states should be ready to provide assistance but states  that accept the assistance – ready to receive it. “Often crisis in the state that needs assistance can be avoided, if the response to indicators showing approaching crisis - economic and social degradation, lack of reforms, extending poverty, internal and external political tension - is timely,”   Undersecretary of Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said.

Mr Talat-Kelpša drew attention of the participants of the forum to prevention of poverty and conflicts. International community should seek the assistance to be provided to the states where it would contribute to avoidance of conflicts or crises and be a timely response to economic and social degradation, lack of reforms, extending poverty, internal and external political tension.

Undersecretary of the Ministry stressed that Lithuania’s readiness to become a donor state is based on Lithuania’s particular recent experience of receiving development assistance from other donor states.

“Reconstruction of the state, transition to market economy, Euro-Atlantic integration and property restitution are not purely theoretical concepts for Lithuania but recent everyday experience. Currently our country shares experience with the states where reforms are under way – Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan,” Mr Talat-Kelpša said.

Mr Talat-Kelpša informed about Lithuania’s input to reconstruction of Ghor Province in Afghanistan. He said that reconstruction of the infrastructure is not sufficient response to the needs of Afghanistan. People’s abilities should be developed, and civil society should be involved into all social processes.