Brussels, 22/03/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 22 March, the EU Foreign Affairs Council confirmed the appointment of Lithuania's Vygaudas Usackas as the new EU special representative for Afghanistan and the head of the EU's delegation office in Kabul. Usackas will start work on 1 April in order to “guide” implementation of an EU action plan decided upon in October 2009 (see EUROPE 10102). In a conclusions document adopted on Monday, the Council stresses the importance of implementing the commitments made at the international donor conference in London on 28 January, particularly the financing of a trust fund for the Afghan peace and reconciliation programme (the details of the said programme on reintegrating former Taliban fighters will be unveiled at a conference in Kabul later in the spring). The EU expects the Afghan government to firmly and rapidly meet its promises to its own population and for the Kabul conference, the date of which has not yet been set, to “chart the way forward” in fighting corruption, strengthening security, ensuring effective, impartial governance, developing society and the economy, protecting human rights and improving the electoral process. The Council calls on the Afghan government to ensure the “impartiality, independence and integrity of electoral bodies” (the Independent Electoral Commission and the Electoral Complaints Commission) which will be overseeing the country's general elections in September. In the conclusions document, the ministers point out that only structural reforms will enable greater backing to be won from the international community for the election process. (A.By./transl.fl)