Lithuania to retain presence in Afghanistan through 2013.

VILNIUS, December 8 (Itar-Tass) -- Lithuania will retain presence in Afghanistan through 2013, Deputy Foreign Minister Sarunas Adomavicius said at NATO consultations on Tuesday.

"Lithuania will supervise an international group in the Ghor province
together with allies through 2013," he said. "While strengthening local
authorities, which will assume full responsibility for Afghan affairs
sooner or later, it is important to define terms of the coalition pullout
from Afghanistan. It is necessary to draft a pullout action plan together
with the Afghan government," he said.
Representatives of Italy, Spain, Lithuania and the United States,
which lead four NATO groups supervising the reconstructions in western
Afghanistan, as well as of Denmark, Croatia, the NATO Brussels
headquarters, the NATO headquarters in Europe and Afghanistan, and the EU
police mission in Afghanistan took part in the consultations.
The sides discussed the Afghan situation, analyzed ways to upgrade
Afghan security forces and sought ways of accelerated reconstructions. The
new American strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan was an important item on
the agenda.
-0-yer