Press Releases

November 5, 2007

Federal Minister Steinmeier Congratulates the New Head of the European Police Mission EUPOL in Afghanistan

On the occasion of Brigadier-General Jürgen Scholz taking up service as head of the Euro­pean Police Mission EUPOL Afghanistan in Kabul, Federal Foreign Minister Dr Frank-Walter Steinmeier issued the following statement today (1 November):

"I congratulate Jürgen Scholz on taking up service as head of the European Police Mission in Afghanistan and wish him a sure hand for this challenging work.

The decision by the European Union to entrust Jürgen Scholz with this responsible task underscores the high regard he himself enjoys following his success as head of two European police missions in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. This new appointment of a German Head of Mission recognizes what Germany has done to date to help build up the police force in Afghanistan. At the same time, it expresses our determination to further step up our commitment in this field.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing Head of Mission Friedrich Eichele who has worked tremendously in one of the world's most difficult theatres and I would like to wish him all the best for his future work as head of a Federal Police Directorate."

The creation of a functioning Afghan security sector is one of the priorities of the German Gov­ernment, the EU and the international community in Afghanistan. A functioning and reliable Afghan police force is a sine qua non for guaranteeing a safe environment for reconstruction. The European Police Mission EUPOL Afghanistan aims to work with its partners to enable the Afghan police to increasingly perform their tasks alone.

Since 15 June 2007, support for the Afghan police has been led by the EU. EUPOL is based on the successful German police project. It will help build up and train the Afghan police force and ensure it gradually covers the entire country. The key tasks are training Afghan police officers and advising decision-makers in the police and the Interior Ministry. The mis­sion is initially envisaged to run for up to three years. EUPOL is expected to reach full capac­ity of 195 police officers and experts on schedule in March 2008.

Supporting the Afghan Government as it builds up its police force is a task for the interna­tional community. Currently, 17 EU Member States and partner nations are involved in the mission.

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