India’s High Commissioner to UK Navtej Sarna has been appointed as Ambassador to the United States. Mr Sarna, an Indian Foreign Service officer of the 1980 batch, was serving as Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs before he was posted in London in January.
He succeeds Arun Singh, who is due for retirement. Mr Sarna will face the task of engaging with the new administration in Washington following the November 8 Presidential poll. The 59-year-old diplomat was among the longest-serving spokespersons of the Ministry of External Affairs from 2002 to 2008.
Government has also appointed 1988-batch IFS officer Taranjit Singh Sandhu as the next High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka. He will replace Yash Sinha.