April 9, while visiting Afghanistan delegation of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia paid a visit to Ghowr province protected by the Lithuanian-led PRT. In the delegation were Maj. Gen. Abd Rahim, Chief of Joint Staff of Malaysia, and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kazlan Rashid. In the provincial capital Chaghcharan the guests met with representatives of local administration, later they visited the PRT camp and met with Commander PRT-10 Col. Gediminas Macijauskas, civilian and military personnel of the PRT.
According to the head of the delegation Maj. Gen. A. Rahim, it was an information gathering visit, a stage in Malaysia's consideration of joining ISAF operation in Afghanistan. Representatives of Malaysia also visited several other provinces including Bamiyan and Uruzgan guarded by ISAF PRTs and met with members of PRTs for a discussion over the possibilities of cooperation.
Military and civilian personnel of the PRT presented to the Malaysian delegation security situation in Ghowr province, and development cooperation projects funded by Lithuania, Japan, and USA.
In the meeting with leading officials of Ghowr administration provincial Governor Mohammad Eqbal Muneeb spoke that Malaysia was among the countries rendering active support to Afghanistan in their liberation battle against the Soviet invasion in the ninth decade of last century, and that Afghanistan could have great benefit from Malaysia's support today as well. Maj. Gen. A. Rahim thanked people of Ghowr on behalf of the Government of Malaysia for warm welcoming and voiced a view that the time had come to support the Islamic state and contribute to its development.
Currently the strength of around 90 thousand troops in the NATO-led ISAF operation in Afghanistan is committed by 45 nations. 26 peacekeeping provincial reconstruction teams are deployed in the country's provinces.
Lithuanian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team of Ghowr based in Chaghcharan, provincial capital, is a joint military-civilian mission operating under the NATO's International Security Assistance Force. Lithuania took responsibility for the PRT of Ghowr province in summer of 2005. The main objective of the PRT mission is to assist the Central Government of Afghanistan to extend its authority throughout the province, to ensure security and to help built environment favourable for provincial reconstruction.
PRT-10 currently providing security in Ghowr is based on the 1st Territorial Unit of Dainava Military District of the Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Force. Along with around 150 civilians and military from Lithuania representatives of Denmark, Georgia, Japan, USA, Romania and Ukraine serve in the Lithuanian-led Chaghcharan Provincial Reconstruction Team.
PIO for PRT-10 1st Lt. Skomantas Povilionis
Pictures by 1st Lt. Skomantas Povilionis
