The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) recently appointed diplomat Vipul as India’s ambassador to the Gulf country of Qatar. This comes after a gap of nearly two months.
The MEA confirmed in a statement that he is expected to take up the assignment shortly.
Vipul, an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer from the 1998 batch, is currently serving as the joint secretary in the Gulf division at the headquarters of the MEA in Delhi.
In his current position as Joint Secretary, Vipul has been in charge of India’s diplomatic engagement with the Gulf – a region with which India's ties have strengthened over the last few years.
"Shri Vipul (IFS 1998), presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the State of Qatar."Ministry of External Affairs press release
Vipul's appointment as Ambassador comes at a critical time following the situation of eight naval veterans who have been detained since last August after certain charges were made against them. They are currently being tried under Qatari Law. The Indian government has already intervened in the legal proceedings.
The previous ambassador, Deepak Mittal, returned to India in March and has now joined as a joint secretary in the Prime Minister's Office.
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