New Delhi: Several Indian diplomatic missions in the
Gulf,
Southeast Asia and key European capitals will soon have new envoys in one of the biggest revamps undertaken by the
Ministry of External Affairs (
MEA) in recent years.
The Indian
envoy in Qatar P Kumaran may move to Singapore, replacing Jawed Ashraf, who’s moving to France. MEA Spokesperson
Raveesh Kumar is expected to be India’s new ambassador to Croatia.
Singapore is critical not just for India’s growth story but also its Indo-Pacific vision. Kumaran has wideranging experience across the Arab world and the US, besides Europe.
The current envoy to Croatia, Arindam Bagchi, who had earlier served in the Prime Minister’s Office and deputy ambassador in Sri Lanka, will be the new MEA spokesperson. As director in the PMO, Bagchi handled relations with the Americas and Russia.
He also dealt with the departments of atomic energy and space. His earlier external assignments have been with the Indian mission in New York and the embassies in Lima and Madrid. The name of Anurag Srivastava, India’s current envoy to Ethiopia, is also doing the rounds for the post.
Kumaran will be succeeded in Doha by Deepak Mittal, joint secretary, Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran. His experience in the PMO and dealing with Af-Pak and Iran will come handy in Doha in the backdrop of Delhi’s growing ties with Qatar.
India’s permanent missions in New York and Geneva as well as that in London will have new envoys. Several European capitals including Brussels, Lisbon, Stockholm and Rome will also get new envoys. There is speculation that India’s envoy in Brussels, Gyatri Kumar, who played a key role in blocking the proposed CAA resolution by the European Parliament, may be appointed the high commissioner in London.
Meanwhile Indian CG in Chicago Sudhakar Dalela has swapped places with Amit Kumar current deputy envoy in Washington. TV Nagendra Prasad, joint secretary, Gulf, will be India’s new consul general in San Francisco following the appointment of Sanjay Panda as ambassador to Turkey. Jaideep Mazumdar, ambassador to the Philippines, will be the new envoy to Vienna. Mazumdar’s vast experience in dealing with China will be useful for India in tackling Beijing’s expanding influence in Europe.