March 29, 2008

The new U.N. Special Envoy to Afghanistan in a meeting on Saturday with President Hamid Karzai in Kabul vowed to support the people and the government of Afghanistan and help improve coordination between the Afghan government and international donors on aid and development efforts.

President Karzai welcomed Kai Eide to Afghanistan on his new post as the new UN Special Representative and wished him success with his new job.

The President called Eide a well- known Norwegian diplomat for his skills, experience and knowledge of coordinating international aid into more effect and assured him of his support of any efforts for that end.  

Then new UN Envoy thanked the international community and the Afghan government for the trust and confidence they have expressed in him and vowed he would not spare any efforts in serving and helping the people of Afghanistan.

Mr. Eide arrived in Kabul on Friday to assume his new post.

A career diplomat with the Norwegian Foreign Service, Mr. Eide served as Permanent representative of Norway to NATO from 2002 to 2006. In 2005 he was Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General in Kosovo and from 1997-1998 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.