Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lieutenant General Arvydas Pocius and an accompanying delegation commenced a visit in Afghanistan on December 14, they are meeting with Lithuanian servicemembers deployed to the country, representatives of the leadership of NATO's operation Afghanistan, and members of the local Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF).
The Chief of Defence is accompanied by Members of Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania Gediminas Jakavonis and Remigijus Ačas, Head of the Office of the Committee on National Security and Defence Vitalij Dmitrijev, Commander of the Lithuanian Air Force Major General Edvardas Mažeikis, Head of Military Police of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Lieutenant Colonel Gytis Kazokas, other representatives of the leadership of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
The Chief of Defence took to the Lithuanian military festive gifts: traditional Lent-diet pastries made for Christmas Eve, Lithuanian staple bread and meat products. Fir trees brought from Lithuania will remind the servicemembers during the Christmas season of their home.
Leadership of the Ministry of National Defence is conducting several annual visits to Lithuanian troops deployed to multinational missions on a regular basis.
Currently Lithuanian military are serving in Afghanistan in the province of Kandahar as members of the Air Mentoring Team (AMT), in the Special Operations Squadron in the south of the country, in the Protection Group of the Lithuanian Special Mission in Afghanistan based in Kabul. Lithuanian officers are also carrying out duties at International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) headquarters.
Spokesperson to the Chief of Defence of Lithuania Captain Skomantas Povilionis
