By DPA,
New York: Stefan de Mistura, a veteran UN troubleshooter, was named head of the UN mission in Afghanistan Wednesday.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who selected de Mistura to replace outgoing Norwegian Kai Eide, said the Swedish diplomat will take over March 1.
De Mistura previously headed the UN mission in Iraq and held other important UN assignments.
Ban said Afghanistan is reaching a turning point in its struggle for survival and its population want a “larger say” in running the country.
An international conference on Afghanistan was to take place in London Thursday, which Ban will attend.
He called for a “balanced approach” in the cooperation between civilian organisations like the UN and the military in their efforts to help the Kabul government settle the war in the country.