On Wednesday, May 19, Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis arrived in Afghanistan for a three-day visit. This is the first time in the history of independent Latvia that the Head of the Government is visiting the international operation of the National Armed Forces of Latvia abroad.
It is planned, that the Prime Minister will visit the largest contingent base of Latvia in Maiman to meet the soldiers located there, as well as the management of the local province of Faryab to discuss the situation in the province. V.Dombrovskis will also visit northern command in Mazar-e Sharif.
In Kabul – the capital city of Afghanistan, a meeting of the Prime Minister and Hamid Karzai President of Afghanistan is planned. Within the framework of the meeting the parties will discuss the current situation in Afghanistan, as well as the participation of the President of Afghanistan in the forthcoming NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Rīga.
Within the framework of the visit, the Prime Minister will meet General Makristal Stanley, ISAF Commander. It is planned that the Prime Minister could also visit a group of advisors of Latvia for operational cooperation training the army of Afghanistan in the East of the country.
The objective of the Prime Minister’s visit – to examine the situation in Afghanistan, given that the current events in this country still remain a major issue on the agenda of the international society and the fact that the most important international operation of the NATO is being implemented in Afghanistan for which the largest Alliance’s resources have been allocated.
”This is a decisive year for Afghanistan: last autumn the presidential elections took place, the new strategy proposed by General Makristal was introduced. Therefore, the most important task now is to train the Afghans, so they would be willing to take over the power in their country, with particular focus on training of security forces of Afghanistan”, says the Prime Minister characterizing the objective of the visit.
The delegation visiting Afghanistan also includes Aivis Ronis Minister for Foreign Affairs, Raimonds Graube Brigadier General and Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Defence for Military Capability Development, Igors Apokins Ambassador of Latvia to Afghanistan, Solveiga Silkalna Advisor to the Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jānis Garisons Policy Director of the Ministry of Defence, Līga Krapāne Press Secretary to the Prime Minister, Colonel Igors Rajevs Deputy Chief of the Headquarters of the National Armed Forces for Operational Affairs.
Currently, 177 soldiers are in service in Latvia’s contingent in Afghanistan.
Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/valstskanceleja/sets/72157624091806674/
Līga Krapāne
Press Secretary to the Prime Minister
Phone. 67082865/ 29480299
E-mail: liga.krapane@mk.gov.lv
www.mk.gov.lv
|
