Ugnė Naujokaitytė, spokeswoman for Lithuania's defense minister, confirmed to BNS that Ghor districts of Chaharsada, Dowlatyar, and Lal Wa Sarjangal had been listed among the 122 administrative regions of Afghanistan.
"In Ghor province, where we are now in charge, the handover of responsibility will be already launched in four out of ten provincial districts. It's nearly half. We still have time until 2014 when the international security forces are committed to hand over full responsibility to the Afghan authorities," Vice-Minister of National Defense Vytautas Umbrasas told BNS on Monday.
In his words, two more responsibility handover stages are planned by 2014.
"Everything is happening according to plan, tasks will be further carried out, but this handover of responsibility will mean that Afghanistan's national security forces are gaining certain capabilities to carry out certain actions on their won, including patrolling, planning, carrying out operations. We remain on watch and are ready to help, if needed," he added.
In late fall of 2011, Ghor's provincial capital Chaghcharan and its region were included into the second phase of handover of responsibilities.
Lithuania has been leading a PRT in Ghor since 2005 but plans to withdraw in 2013. About 150 Lithuanian troops currently serve in Ghor.
2012 05 14
Three more districts of Lithuanian-lead Ghor province in Afghanistan to be handed to local forces
Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai announced on Sunday a new phase of the handover of responsibility to the local administration. The phase includes three more districts of the Ghor province where Lithuania is leading a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).
PRT representatives with local officers. / POMSG-2 nuotr.
Report mistake
Successfully sent
Thank you
