News

March 17, Supreme Allied Commander Europe USA General Gen. Bantz John Craddock and members of the North Atlantic Council with delegation paid a visit to the Lithuanian-led Chaghcharan PRT-8 camp. North Atlantic Council was represented by Gediminas Varvuolis, Deputy Permanent Representative Minister Counsellor of the Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Lithuania to NATO, and Permanent Representative of Spain on the North Atlantic Council Ambassador Carlos Miranda. They were accompanied by ambassadors to NATO of ISAF partners – Ambassador of Georgia Revaz Beshidze and Ambassador of Ukraine Igor Sagah.

Commander PRT-8 Col. Vytautas Reklaitis introduced to the high guests activities of Ghowr Provincial Reconstruction Team. He insisted on increasing attention to the need for deploying ANA unit in the province, renovating Chaghcharan Airfield, and launching constructions of a road Kabul-Herat across Chaghcharan. Having heard PRT-8 Commander’s address, Gen. J. Craddock thanked him and other members of PRT-8 for the big and important job they were doing in the province.

Later the delegation visited Ghowr Governor Sayed Mohammad Iqbal Munib’s residence. The Governor talked to his guests about problems in the province. In his speech he admitted that security situation in Ghowr is normal in comparison to other provinces which allows intense inhabitant registration before presidential elections due in the end of summer 2009. However, the province is subject to economic problems: underdeveloped infrastructure and miserable roads condition prevent economic growth in the province and by a great part determine high level of poverty. Permanent shortage of food is conditioned by droughts recurring for many years. “People of Ghowr support efforts of Central Government and international community to provide stability in Afghanistan; however, they anticipate greater attention to their province. So far the most of attention is paid to provinces suffering from bigger security problems. But the Constitution of Afghanistan stipulates equal rights for all the provinces therefore assistance sent should be rebalanced in favour of such provinces as Ghowr,” the Governor said.

Thanking for a warm welcome Gen. J. Craddock stressed: ”I consider the indicated problems with due graveness and will transfer the message into a higher level as soon as I come back to Brussels. I sustain that poor and isolated provinces like Ghowr require more attention and assistance than they have received till now. Chaghcharan has turned more beautiful since I have been here in 2007 – it is rejoicing to note that life does not stand still and gradually improvs despite all the problems.”

Before leaving the guests visited one of the projects funded by the Government of Lithuania in Chaghcharan: Civil Servants Training Centre successfully in operation for quite a while.

At this moment there is the eighth rotation of Lithuanian peacekeepers and the second rotation formed on the basis of the National Defence Volunteer Force deployed to Ghowr. Despite civilians and military from Lithuania, staff of the Lithuanian PRT includes military members from Denmark, Croatia, the US, Ukraine, and Georgia.

Lithuania launched PRT mission in Ghowr province of Afghanistan in April 2005. The main role of PRT in Ghowr is assisting Afghan Government to extend its authority in the province, to ensure security, and consequently to create conditions for reconstruction of the province. PRT is a Lithuanian-led joint civilian-military mission under the NATO International Security Assistance Force.

PIO for PRT-8 Lt. Karolis Zikaras