Prague/Logar (Afghanistan), March 19 (CTK) - The Czech Republic Wednesday officially started the activities of its own reconstruction team (PRT) in the Afghan province of Logar, Czech Chief of Staff Vlastimil Picek told CTK.The ceremony was attended by Picek and Deputy Defence Minister Martin Bartak.

Overall, about 200 Czech soldiers plus civilian farming, construction and hydrology experts will operate in Logar.

The opening ceremony was also attended by local political representatives, including the governor of Logar.

Picek told CTK the PRT would first have to be fully acquainted with the local environment.

According to previous information, Czechs want to follow up the projects started by Americans in Afghanistan. They are supposed to complete some schools and hospitals.

Commander Ivo Strecha said earlier the security situation in individual districts of the province differed.

“There are the districts with a good security situation and those with a bad security situation,” Strecha said.

The coalition units still do not have some parts of the province under control, Strecha said.

“Taliban still has some space to pursue its activities,” Strecha added.

Logar is inhabited by about 350,000 people.

The Czech team is to stay there for at least three years. After Lithuania and Hungary, the Czech Republic is the third new NATO country to have its own PRT.

The Foreign Ministry that has selected the civilian experts says the mission is to contribute to Afghanistan’s heading for the law-governed state and not succumbing to chaos again.

The diplomats also say the reconstruction projects may be hampered by bad infrastructure and shortage of electricity.

This year, the Czech Republic will increase the number of its troops in Afghanistan. Along with Logar, Czechs are in a field hospital in Kabul.

The Czech military also operates in the southern province of Helmand in which one Czech soldier died and another two were wounded in a suicide attack on Monday.

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