Lietuva in brief - 2011-02-17

  • 2011-02-16

So far this month, EOD personnel of the Lithuanian-led Chaghcharan PRT destroyed around 800 pieces of various types of ammunition in Afghanistan, reports ELTA.  The goal of the Disbandment of Illegal Armed Groups (DIAG) Committee of Ghor province is to collect arms and explosives from illegal armed groups, ensure appropriate and safe storage and neutralization. PRT-12 is formed mainly of troops of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Algirdas Mechanized Infantry Battalion, providing personnel for the ISAF mission in Ghor for a second time. Representatives of Denmark, Georgia, Japan, USA, and Ukraine are deployed for service at the base of the Lithuanian-led PRT, together with Lithuanian personnel.

On Feb. 12 in Vilnius, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Azubalis and Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Ossur Skarphedinsson unveiled a memorial plaque, dedicated to the decision of the Parliament of Iceland twenty years ago to recognize the Independence of Lithuania, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports. According to Azubalis, Iceland’s support for Lithuania was more than just international recognition. “It was strong moral support and a special statement to the world that Lithuania had a very good friend and supporter of our Independence,” Minister Azubalis said. Lithuania felt the undoubted support of Iceland not only on the path to freedom, but also while integrating into transatlantic structures, he noted. Azubalis said that Lithuania fully supports Iceland in its EU membership negotiations and expects in such a way to at least partially thank the Icelandic people for their support. Iceland was the first country to recognize Lithuania’s Independence on Feb. 11, 1991.