Navtej Sarna appointed Indian ambassador to United States

NEW DELHI: The government appointed on Thursday Indian high commissioner to the United Kingdom, Navtej Sarna, as the country’s new ambassador to the United States.

Published on: Sep 23, 2016, 07:22:54 IST

By HT Correspondent

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

NEW DELHI: The government appointed on Thursday Indian high commissioner to the United Kingdom, Navtej Sarna, as the country’s new ambassador to the United States.

A 1980-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, Sarna will take over from Arun Kumar Singh, who has retired from the service.

“Navtej Singh Sarna (IFS: 1980) has been appointed as the next ambassador of India to the United State of America. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly,” external affairs ministry said.

Sarna, who has authored several books, fiction as well as non-fiction, had succeeded Ranjan Mathai as India’s envoy to the UK.

The 59-year-old career diplomat served as the ministry’s spokesperson from 2002 to 2008, the longest anyone has served the ministry of external affairs (MEA) in that capacity. He then headed for Tel Aviv, serving as India’s ambassador to Israel till 2012.

For two years from August 2012, Sarna served as additional secretary in-charge of international organisations.

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.