DUSHANBE, June 22, 2011, Asia-Plus — The NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai is arriving in Dushanbe today for a two-day visit, according to the Tajik MFA.
The purpose of the visit is for the NATO secretary general’s special envoy to discuss with Tajik state officials issues related to cooperation between NATO and Tajikistan, the source said.
The position of Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia was created on an ad hoc basis following the decision taken by NATO Allies at the Istanbul Summit in June 2004, to place a special focus on the strategically important regions of the Caucasus and Central Asia. A key element of this special focus is enhanced liaison arrangements, including the appointment of the Special Representative and two NATO Liaison Officers, one for each region.
The post of Special Representative is currently held by James Appathurai, who replaced Robert F. Simmons – NATO’s first Special Representative – in December 2010. Mr. Appathurai previously served as NATO’s Spokesperson from 2004 to 2010. Prior to that he served as Deputy Head and Senior Planning Officer in the Policy Planning and Speechwriting Section of NATO’s Political Affairs Division from 1998 to 2004.
