The new British Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Sir William Patey, has visited British troops and international redevelopment projects in Nad-e-Ali in the heart of the green zone.
Arriving at forward operating base (FOB) Shawqat, the Ambassador was greeted by the Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Frazer Lawrence and the District Governor Habibullah Khan. The regiment is currently on a six-month deployment to the region.
After receiving a joint briefing from the Commanding Officer and District Governor about the redevelopment of the area, the Ambassador took a tour of the town with Afghan and British security forces. The tour took in the village school, a farming techniques training centre, a medical facility and the bustling bazaar.
Sir William Patey said: “You come to this district and this is where it is all delivered. It was good to meet the Governor and hear what his needs were. What really impressed me was the co-operation between the international forces, the international officials here and the Governor. An Afghan, international supported effort is of the utmost importance.”
The purpose of the visit was to show the new Ambassador the progress made in the region. As he toured the town, he took time to speak with local nationals and officials to discover what help ISAF had been able to offer and what else the people needed to continue the redevelopment of this once prosperous region.
Lieutenant Colonel Frazer Lawrence commented on the day’s visit: “I thought it went very well indeed. The briefing gave him [the Ambassador] a good idea of the broader area, and then the walk around the centre this morning with the District Governor allowed the Governor to tell the Ambassador exactly what he has managed to achieve.”
Sir William said: “It is interesting for me to come and walk around a bazaar and meet some local people. It is a good start to my time in Afghanistan.”
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Lovley that the new Ambassador wanted to 'look around' and great that the govenor had an opportunity to say 'what else' he wanted...but what interested me most was the fact that our Ambassodor had 'additional protection' compared to that of our troops - sorry, but for me OUR TROOPS COME FIRST....progress yes, but at what COST...and I don't mean money...SO VERY PROUD OF OUR TROOPS. May God bless you All xx
ReplyDeleteI think its about time we credit our Army Photographers for their hard work in such circumstances! Picture credits where credit's due is fair i think.
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