DUSHANBE, March 18, 2015, Asia-Plus — UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday appointed Petko Draganov of Bulgaria as his Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), located in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, according to the UN News Center.
Mr. Draganov will succeed Miroslav Jenca of Slovakia, who was recently appointed Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs.
“The Secretary-General is grateful to Mr. Jenca for his vision and leadership at the helm of the UNRCCA since its inception,” stated the announcement of the appointment.
Mr. Draganov currently serves as Deputy Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), a position he has held since 2009. He has also served as First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria and in numerous diplomatic postings in Africa.
The United Nations Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia was inaugurated in December 2007 to help the region’s countries respond more proactively to cross-border challenges and threats before they can become costlier and more difficult to control.
The Center is tasked with assisting the governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in building capacities to peacefully prevent conflict, in facilitating dialogue, and in catalyzing international support behind projects and initiatives.
