Montenegro

Alexander Avanesov new Head of UNDP Montenegro

On the occasion of receiving Mr. Avanesov’s letter of Accreditation President Vujanović expressed satisfaction at his appointment as UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative to Montenegro and uttered his expectations for a quality cooperation between Montenegro and the UNDP.

President of Montenegro emphasized that cooperation with specialized United Nations agencies in Montenegro has been continuously good and numerous joint projects have already been implemented in economic and overall development domains. He also expressed his gratefulness to the United Nations for significant assistance and support they provided to Montenegro and wished a successful career to former UNDP Resident Representative a.i. and UN Focal Point in Montenegro Mr. Garret Tankosić Kelly.

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On July 4th Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro H.E. Mr. Milan Roćen received Mr. Alexander Avanesov, newly appointed UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative to the Republic of Montenegro who, on that occasion, handed over the copy of the Letter of Accreditation.

Minister Roćen positively evaluated the cooperation that Montenegro previously accomplished with the UN agencies, within which many projects were implemented in domains of institutional reform, democratisation, promoting of sustainable development principles and environmental protection. He also expressed his pleasure at Mr. Avanesov’s appointment to the position of UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative to Montenegro. Minister Roćen expressed his conviction that a successful cooperation based upon basic UN principles will be further improved and dynamized. He expressed particular gratitude for the support that the UNDP provides for strengthening of capacities and building of new services within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The newly appointed UN Coordinator to Montenegro Mr. Avanesov expressed satisfaction with taking up this duty and he underlined readiness of UN agencies to continue to provide support to development processes in Montenegro. He estimated that the Country Programme Action Plan on cooperation between the Government of Montenegro and the UNDP, which harmonization is underway, will represent a basis for identification of development needs and harmonization of priority projects for Montenegro.

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Prior to his appointment in Montenegro Mr. Alexander Avanessov served as Deputy Resident Representative at the UNDP Armenia from September 2004 to June 2008. He also served from 1994 to 2004 as Regional Program Manager and Program Specialist at the UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS, and as Senior Regional Adviser at the UNDP Country Office Russia.

Mr. Avanesov earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in International Economic Relations at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Russia. He continued at the Moscow State Institute of Foreign Affairs as an assistant professor teaching courses on Economy of Japan and Economic Geography of the USSR.

Between 1984 and 1986 he served as Second Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of International Economic organizations where he contributed to the formulation and promotion of several key initiatives of USSR in the UN bodies. Between 1986 and 1994 he worked at the Russian Mission to the United Nations, Department of UN economic agencies as their First Secretary.

Mr. Avanesov speaks Russian, English, Spanish and Japanese.

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Mr. Garret Tankosić Kelly, former UNDP Resident Representative a.i./UN Interagency Focal Point in Montenegro started working together with his two colleagues, and with modest financial resources in 2002 UNDP Liaison Office that was opened in Podgorica. The Office was gradually growing and after the Proclamation of independence of Montenegro in June 2006 it reached the status of Country Office with almost 60 employees and programme portfolio of nearly 30 million Euros for the next two years.

According to the latest Global UNDP Staff Survey the UNDP Country Office Montenegro was rated best in the region of Europe and CIS, and according to the Partnership Survey it has best results in 14 key dimensions.

Even before he became Head of the UNDP in Montenegro, Mr. Tankosić Kelly came up with the idea of building an environmentally-sustainable new headquarters for all four UN agencies with offices there. Fully supported by the Montenegrin Government through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in cooperation with the Mayor of the Montenegrin Capital Podgorica and the Municipality of Podgorica and the Austrian Government, the first UN Eco building in the world will be built in Podgorica.