United Nations Secretary General's special envoy to Afghanistan Kai Eide said Wednesday that the world body in its effort to further support the war-torn country would expand its mission there.

"You will see next year robust UN mission in Afghanistan," Eide told a press conference here.

In this regard he said, "We would open four offices in 2009." However, he did not say in which provinces the new offices would be established.

The United Nations Assistant Mission (UNAMA) headed by Eide which has already established its presence in several relatively peaceful provinces opened its office in Trinkot, the provincial capital of Uruzgan province, in the volatile south couple of months ago.

Kai Eide, who assumed office as the world body's chief special envoy to Afghanistan last April, stressed for strengthening peace, stability and reconstruction process of the war-battered central Asian state by saying "my hope is to bring economic development and stability to the Afghan people."

He also emphasized the importance of the role of Afghan security forces, saying it is essential to expand the Afghan army as quickly as possible.

(Xinhua News Agency December 17, 2008)