The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office today announced that Mr Mark Sedwill CMG has been appointed Her Majesty's Ambassador to The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in succession to Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles KCMG, LVO, who has been appointed as the Foreign Secretary's Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Mr Sedwill will take up his appointment during April 2009.

He made the following statement to the Afghan people on his appointment.

Having spent most of my career in the region, I am honoured to have been appointed British ambassador to Afghanistan. This is the most important job I will ever do.

Only a few years ago, ravaged by decades of war, Afghanistan had become a terrorist haven under a government dismantling Afghan civilisation. While the challenges ahead are daunting, we should remember how much has been achieved since then in reducing poverty, eradicating drugs, confronting the insurgency and improving governance.

This is a pivotal time for the Afghan people and your friends. Together, we must continue to press forward against the insurgency which threatens Afghanistan from outside, and press down on the corruption and drugs trafficking which threatens Afghanistan from within. This is a also a crucial year for Afghanistan's young democracy. The first elections were a triumph for every Afghan who braved the threats and voted. These elections - organised by your own electoral commission - are another opportunity for the people of Afghanistan to take control of your own future.

This will be the theme of my time as British ambassador in Afghanistan. Through defence, diplomacy and development, Afghanistan's friends can help, but Afghanistan's destiny lies in Afghan hands. We will remain resolute and face with you the inevitable setbacks and challenges ahead. A safer world needs a stable, secure and prosperous Afghanistan. We will prevail.

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