The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced the appointment of career diplomat Arindam Bagchi as India's next permanent representative to the United Nations and related global bodies in Geneva. The ministry said that he would take over the assignment “shortly”.
Bagchi would be succeeding Indra Mani Pandey, the incumbent Indian envoy to the UN in Geneva. He was given the key charge in July 2020, and is now set to return to New Delhi after a three-year stint.
While his replacement as MEA spokesperson has not been named but prominent names for replacement doing rounds include Mauritius high commissioner K Nandini Singla and joint secretary (G20) Nagaraj Naidu Kakanur.
“Arindam Bagchi (IFS:1995), presently Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, has been appointed as the next Ambassador/Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva,” the MEA said.
“He is expected to take up the assignment shortly,” the brief official statement further added.
Bagchi, is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of the 1955-batch. He was given the key charge of MEA spokesperson in March 2020, at a time when the world was facing the COVID-19 pandemic. During his tenure, Bagchi was known for deftly handling media discussion around crucial topics such as the Sino-Indian border row in eastern Ladakh, Indian government's COVID-19 strategy and New Delhi's G20 presidency.
Before serving as the MEA spokesperson, Bagchi had also discharged duties as the Indian envoy in eastern Europe's Croatia and deputy high commissioner in neighbouring Sri Lanka.
Bagchi had also served as a director in the Prime Minister's Office, and also at India's permanent mission at the UN in New York.
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