“The German Government welcomes the decision taken by the Independent Election Commission in Kabul today to hold the next presidential elections in Afghanistan on 5 April 2014.
The election date is in line with the provisions of the Afghan constitution. At the Tokyo Conference on Afghanistan in July this year, the Afghan Government committed itself to conducting safe, inclusive and transparent elections. Whether the elections will be accepted by all groups of the Afghan population will essentially depend on the fulfilment of this pledge. The early setting of the election date constitutes a first major step towards complying with these requirements.
We will offer Afghanistan our support for the preparation and holding of the elections.”