In an interview with BNS, the minister has said that there are currently two alternatives under consideration as to where Lithuanians could help Afghanis in the future: in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, where Germany will take over responsibilities and where the other Baltic states and Northern European countries plan to send their troops to, or in the country's southern or eastern areas under the United States' responsibility.
"We are considering either the opportunity with Americans, or with the Baltic states and Northern countries in Mazar-i-Sharif," Olekas told BNS following his meeting with his Afghani counterpart in Kabul.
NATO has decided to end its existing military mission in Afghanistan by the end of 2014 but is considering leaving 8,000 to 15,000 soldiers to train the local army and police and assist them. The Unite States, Germany, Italy, and Turkey plan to share areas of responsibility as part of the new mission.
At the moment, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force mission involves around 87,000 soldiers, including around 250 Lithuanians. The number of Lithuanian soldiers will decrease significantly in the upcoming weeks as Lithuania is ending its mission in Ghor Province where it has been responsible of the security and reconstruction for eight years. Other countries are also gradually withdrawing their troops from Afghanistan.
The Afghan National Security Forces now have over 300,000 soldiers and police officers. They are leading the fight against Taliban rebels in the whole country but still need international air, logistics, and intelligence assistance.
According to Olekas, troops from the Lithuanian Special Operations Force, currently training Afghan forces in the south of the country, are conducting a similar mission to the one NATO plans to continue as of 2015.
According to the Lithuanian defense minister, the final decision on Lithuania's presence in Afghanistan will be made after Afghanistan's authorities sign agreements with the United States and NATO, defining the status of troops. Olekas hopes that the stalling talks between the US and Afghanistan will end in the upcoming fall.
"Today, the Afghani defense minister reiterated that they need such assistance. Having an agreement, we will be able to talk about specific numbers," Olekas said.
During the meeting, Olekas also handed over to Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius' letter in which he thanked the president for Afghanistan authorities' cooperation in Kabul and Ghor Province.
The international operation in Afghanistan was launched after the United States intervened in 2001 and drove the Taliban from power as it was closely linked to terrorist network Al Qaeda responsible for the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.
