New Delhi: Senior Indian diplomat Gautam Bambawale has been appointed as the next High Commissioner to Pakistan, External Affairs Ministry officially announced today.
An IFS officer of 1984-batch, Bambawale, who is currently serving as India's envoy to Bhutan, will replace T C A Raghavan, who retires at the end of this month.
"He (Bambawale) is expected to take up his assignment shortly," the ministry said. Bambawale's apppointment comes at a crucial time with the two countries having recently decided to re-engage under the "comprehensive bilateral dialogue".
The Foreign Secretaries of the two countries are also scheduled to meet next month to discuss modalities for the same.
Bambawale has previously worked in Germany, US and China. In 2007, he became the first Consul General of India in Guangzhou, China.
Prior to his posting in Bhutan in 2014, Bhambawale held charge as Joint Secretary (East Asia) at the ministry headquarters from December, 2009, to July, 2014.
He was responsible for relations with China, Japan and South Korea, among others.
(With PTI inputs)
