Sunjay Sudhir appointed next ambassador of India to UAE

Sunjay Sudhir has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the UAE, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a press statement on Sunday. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly, said the MEA.

Sudhir served as the Ambassador of India to the Maldives before which he was the joint secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

The 1993-cadre Indian Foreign Services (IFS) officer will replace Pavan Kapoor, who has been heading the Indian mission in UAE since August 2019.

Sudhir was also the consul general of India in Sydney and served as joint secretary and head of the office of the External Affairs Minister. From 2002 to 2004, he served in the MEA as the deputy chief of protocol.

His foreign assignments include counsellor at the permanent mission of India to the World Trade Organisation, Geneva (2007-11), head of the economic and commercial wing at the Indian Embassy, Colombo (2004-07), second secretary (Political, Information and Culture) at the Indian Embassy, Damascus (1997-2000) and third secretary at the Indian Embassy in Cairo (1995-97).

Sudhir holds the degree of Bachelor of Technology in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi. He has a certificate course in Diplomatic Practice from Oxford University (UK) and certificate courses, conducted by WTO, in - TRIPS Agreement and Public Health; WTO Law and Jurisprudence; and WTO Dispute Settlement.

Meanwhile, Pavan Kapoor has been appointed as the next ambassador of India to the Russian Federation, the foreign ministry said in a separate statement. Kapoor played a pivotal role in spearheading the Indian community in UAE’s battle against the pandemic.