British envoy appointed new NATO civilian representative for Afghanistan

NATO has named a senior British diplomat to be its civilian representative in Afghanistan, saying it hoped the appointment would lead to better coordination with the US led military operation.

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen (L) holds a joint news  conference with Mark Sedwill from Britain, newly nominated Senior  NATO Civilian Representative, after a meeting at the Alliance  headquarters in Brussels January 26, 2010 REUTERS/Yves Herman  (BELGIUM - Tags:POLITICS)

Mark Sedwill was appointed in early 2009 as Britain's ambassador to Kabul. He will work with the commander of the NATO-led force in Afghanistan, US General Stanley McChrystal. Together they will coordinate the distribution of civilian aid and development process. The decision is part of a plan to raise the profile and efficiency of civilian efforts in the country, alongside the 110 thousand-strong military force that will be expanded with the arrival of 30 thousand more US troops later this year.

Mark Sedwill, NATO Civilian Rep. for Afghanistan, said, "We need to regain the initiative against the insurgency,strengthen the Afghan institutions, military and civilian, and tackle some of those underlying political tensions at all levels that fuel the insurgency."