Germany supports Civil Aviation in Afghanistan
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Afghan Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Daud Ali Najafi and German Ambassador Rüdiger König
(© German Embassy Kabul)
Today (19. Feb. 2011), in the presence of German Ambassador Rüdiger König, the Afghan Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Daud Ali Najafi, signed a contract with the German company Copernicus GmbH on support and training measures for his Ministry. The German Federal Foreign Office finances this cooperation with approx. 1 million USD.
The project aims at building the necessary capacity for surveillance of civilian air traffic and improved control of international security standards. After more than 30 years of civil war, Afghan authorities are currently not ready to carry out these tasks. Consequently, the European Union banned Afghan airlines from flying to Europe in late 2010. By supporting the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, Germany facilitates the necessary adaptation to international safety standards by Afghan airlines.
At the signing ceremony German Ambassador König stressed: “Progress won’t be made overnight. But I am convinced that the German experts will make an important contribution to improve the safety of civil aviation in Afghanistan.”
