Jukka Savolainen appointed as the new Head of Mission of EUPOL Afghanistan

Press Release 190/2010
14 June 2010

Jukka Savolainen, who works in the Ministry of the Interior as Assistant Department Director at the Finnish Border Guard Headquarters, has been selected to head EUPOL, the European Police Mission in Afghanistan. The President of the Republic has granted Savolainen the rank of Brigadier General for the duration of this appointment. Savolainen has long work experience of European Union security issues and extensive experience of international border security cooperation.

The EUPOL Afghanistan mission has been in operation since 2007 and is an important part of the EU’s support for stabilization of Afghanistan. The mission provides wide-ranging support for reform of Afghanistan’s police sector and the workings of the rule of law. With its roughly 30 experts, Finland is one of the greatest contributors of civilian crisis management experts to the mission. Finland has trebled its participation in the mission from the level of early autumn 2008.

Additional information: Director Laura Yli-Vakkuri, Ministry of the Interior, tel. +358 71 878 8250, Director Timo Kantola, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, puh. +358 40 353 7549