Appointment of NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan

The NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Hikmet Çetin of Turkey to the position of NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan.

Mr. Çetin served as Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1991 to 1994 and was Speaker of the Parliament from 1997-1999. He has also occupied several other Ministerial posts in different governments in Turkey.

As Senior Civilian Representative, Mr. Çetin will be responsible for carrying forward political-military aspects of the Alliance's assistance to the Afghan Transitional Authority in fulfilling the Bonn Agreement commitments. He will work closely with ISAF, the United Nations and other co-ordinating bodies established by the international community and the Afghan Transitional Authority in Kabul.

The Senior Civilian Representative will be crucial to the success of NATO's ISAF mission and the Secretary General is confident that Mr. Çetin will make a solid contribution to that end.