From November 6 to 19 Commander of the Lithuanian Land Force Major General Almantas Leika is conducting a visit in Afghanistan.
In Chaghcharan, capital of the province of Ghor and the main concentration point of Lithuanian peacekeepers in Afghanistan, Maj Gen A. Leika met with the Lithuanian-led Chaghcharan Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).
On November 13 Land Force Commander presented medals for Distinguished Service in a ceremony for the members of the PRT who have demonstrated the most distinguished performance while on mission. On November15 Maj Gen A. Leika will attend PRT rotation ceremony.
During his visit in Ghor Land Force Commander met with Governor of Ghor Sayed Anwar Rahmati with whom cooperation of Lithuanian-led PRT and local institutions in the preparations for the transition period was discussed. Maj Gen A. Leika also paid visits to the Chaghcharan Hospital, Child Day Centre and the base of the Afghan National Army.
"The Chaghcharan we have today has obviously progressed in comparison to the Chaghcharan we saw several years ago. Joint contribution of the PRT, local institutions and security forces is reflected by the improving security, education and healthcare system", Maj Gen A. Leika.
Prior to that Maj Gen A. Leika met with Head of the Lithuanian Special Mission in Afghanistan Gintaras Bagdonas, Lithuanian military conducting service in Kabul and leadership of the International Security Assistance Force.
Lithuanian civilian and military personnel in Ghor executes the peacekeeping mission along with the colleagues from Georgia, Japan, USA, Poland, Finland, the Check Republic, Ukraine, and Croatia. The PRT Civilian Element includes representatives of Lithuanian, Japanese and U.S. offices that represent the governments of their respective states and conduct development cooperation programs and projects.
Lithuania has scheduled to complete the transfer of responsibility for security in Ghor onto local security forces and to close the Lithuanian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team by the end of 2013.
By PIO for PRT-16 1st Lt Indrė Sejonienė. Photos (by 1st Lt Indrė Sejonienė and Maj Vytautas Burokas): Maj Gen A. Leika in the decoration ceremony; visiting the base of the Afghan National Army; head doctor of the Chaghcharan Hospital greeting Land Force Commander; in a meeting with Governor of Ghor; with local children in Ghor.
