Prague, March 4 (CTK) - The first civilian experts who are members of the Czech Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in the Afghan province of Logar will leave together with a group of soldiers for Afghanistan on Thursday, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.The first group of about 100 soldiers left for Logar in February.

The Czech team is to stay in Logar for approximately three years.

Its mission is not of a typical combat character but focuses mainly on aid to local residents.

The main task of the Czech team is to contribute to the stabilisation of Afghanistan, the ministry said.

The reconstruction projects may, however, be hampered by bad infrastructure and lack of electricity, diplomats say.

Following Lithuania and Hungary, the Czech Republic is the third of the new NATO members to have its own PRT.

In the past Czech soldiers were part of a Czech-German reconstruction team in the Afghan province of Badakhshan. The mission has been ended due to the deployment in Logar.

Besides the PRT, Czechs operate a field hospital in the Afghan capital of Kabul.

This story is from the Czech News Agency (?TK).