United Nations, Dec 3 : Stefan Priesner of Austria has taken over as the UNâ??s head in India, according to Secretary-General Antonio Guterresâ?? Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

Priesner, who assumed charge as UN Resident Coordinator in India on Monday, succeeds Shombi Sharp, who concluded a four-year stint.

After a four-year stint in the same position in Iran, he made the move to New Delhi.

He has wide experience in South Asia, having started his 28-year career with the UN in Bhutan, and served in Nepal and Bangladesh.

Priesner has also been the resident coordinator for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, and worked in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He has a law degree from the University of Vienna and a master's in international relations from Johns Hopkins University in the US.

The resident coordinator represents the UN at the highest levels of state and leads the representatives of UN agencies in the countries they are assigned to, while promoting the world organisationâ??s development agenda.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, Guterres appointed Lt Gen Ganesh Kumar Shrestha of Nepal as the new force commander of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).

The Security Council created the UNISFA in 2011 to protect civilians in the Abyei area that straddles Sudan and South Sudan and is claimed by both countries.

Shrestha, who succeeds Maj Gen Robert Yaw Affram of Ghana, heads an operation with 3,250 troops and 640 police.

Recently, Shrestha was recently the Master General of Ordinance in the Nepalese Army Headquarters.

He has served with the UN peacekeeping as a sector commander UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

/IANS