FAO names new Representative in Tajikistan

Oleg Guchgeldiyev, a professional with broad experience in climate change, environmental strategic planning and biodiversity conservation, takes up his duties this week as FAO Representative in Tajikistan.

Guchgeldiyev, a national of Turkmenistan, joined FAO in 2016 as regional coordinator for development of a large-scale project for Central Asian countries and Turkey on sustainable land management. In 2017 he continued to coordinate the inception phase of the project and also worked in various aspects of climate change, from the development of relevant components of regional and national strategies to the development of project ideas for climate finance.

Before joining FAO, Guchgeldiyev worked with various donor and international development agencies, including the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Environment Programme, the German Agency for International Cooperation, and the European Union’s Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent States programme.

He served his country in developing the Public Civil Service System and in coordinating the implementation of a private agriculture development in northern Turkmenistan, among other development projects. He has broad experience in Central Asia and the Caspian Sea Region, and his technical experience includes the economic valuation of ecosystem services, capacity building, and strategic development. He holds a master’s degree in public economic management.

FAO’s activities in Tajikistan – where agriculture is a key sector of the economy – are concerned with food security and nutrition through the development and implementation of national food security policies, the sustainable management of natural resources and improved resilience to climate change, and the improvement of sustainable agricultural productivity and competitiveness, among other efforts.

Guchgeldiyev succeeds Viorel Gutu, who recently was named FAO Subregional Coordinator for Central Asia and FAO Representative in Turkey and Uzbekistan.

2 May 2018, Dushanbe, Tajikistan