March 11, 2008
No. 56
The Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement following the appointment of Kai Eide as the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan:
"I welcome the appointment of Kai Eide as the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan. During my conversation with Mr. Eide yesterday morning, I assured him that Canada stands ready to work with him and his office to ensure an enhanced role for the UN in Afghanistan.
"Canada has long advocated a strong leadership role for the United Nations and the UN Special Representative for Afghanistan to bolster international cooperation and to advance the important work being undertaken by various UN agencies across the country in support of the Afghan government.
"We look forward to working closely with Mr. Eide on implementing the Afghanistan Compact in order to advance development, governance and security in that country. Strong coordination between new and existing international partners is key to making this happen.
"The Canadian government wishes to convey its sincere appreciation to outgoing Special Representative Tom Koenigs for his tremendous efforts in Afghanistan over the past two years."
For Mr. Eide's biography, please visit the following website: Secretary-General appoints Kai Eide of Norway
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