On 17 September 2004, the United Nations Office in the Russian Federation and the Administration of Tver Oblast signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The Memorandum foresees cooperation in working out a concept of social and economic development of the re

The partnership was initiated by the Tver Governor Dmitri Zelenin who is planning to make Tver Oblast one of the leading regions in Central Russia in terms of both economic and social development. At the same time, the UN agencies working in Russia have expressed their readiness to make Tver a pilot region for joint assistance efforts. It is hoped that a model of sustainable regional development will be created as a result to be replicated across the country.The program will include such elements as assessment and monitoring of poverty in the region; job creation and investment support policies; improvement of basic social services; development of healthy lifestyles policies; fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, as well as measures against drug abuse and trafficking, etc.The programme will start to be implemented in October 2004 with a comprehensive baseline assessment and will continue for at least two years. The joint activities will be financed from extra-budgetary sources of the Tver Oblast, UN Agencies funds, as well as through partnership with local private sector companies. For additional information please contact UN Coordination Associate, Mr Dmitri Mariassin, at the UN Development Programme (UNDP) office in the Russian Federation at (095) 787 21 00