March 17, Chief of Defence of Lithuania Maj Gen Arvydas Pocius visits Lithuanian military personnel serving in Afghanistan.
In Afghanistan Maj Gen A. Pocius will also meet with Commander of the NATO Training Mission Afghanistan (NTM-A) Lt Gen Williams B. Caldwell for a discussion over the participation of Lithuania's soldiers in training the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police. Lithuania's Chief of Defence will also meet with Governor of Ghor Dr. Abdullah Heiwad.
In the Chief of Defence's delegation members of the Parliament, representative of the President's Palace, Chief of the Public Security Service under the Ministry of the Interior Internal Service General Sergėjus Madalovas, representatives of other branches of the Lithuanian Armed Forces visits Afghanistan .
Currently over 200 Lithuanian military personnel are deployed on the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operation in Afghanistan. They serve in the Chaghcharan Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and Police Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (POMLT), Air Mentoring Team in Kandahar province and Special Operations Squadron in south Afghanistan. Servicemembers of the Lithuanian Forces also serve in Air Assault Command Group in Helmand, in Regional Command West, and protect personnel of the Lithuanian Special Mission. Logistic support to Lithuanian peacekeepers in Afghanistan is ensured by the National Support Element.
Chief of Defence brought presents for Lithuanian peacekeepers - brown Lithuanian bread and smoked meat.
Chief of Defence is expected to finish the visit by the end of this week.
Spokesperson to the Chief of Defence of Lithuania Capt Tomas Balkus, office phone 00370 5 2785 091, cell phone 00370 682-25359, e-mail tomas.balkus@mil.lt
Picture from MoND archive
