Vikas Swarup appointed High Commisioner to Canada

India has close ties with that country in a range of key sectors and the country has a sizeable number of Indians.

Vikas Swarup

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Vikas Swarup has been appointed the new High Commissioner to Canada.

Mr. Swarup, a well-known author, became the MEA spokesperson in April 2015. He is expected to join his new post in Ottawa by mid-March.

“I am looking forward to my new posting. Canada is a great country and we share not just values and beliefs but also a very substantive agenda and a very well connected diaspora,” Mr. Swarup told

The Hindu .

Canada is a crucial country in India’s diplomatic agenda. Relations between the two countries have expanded in recent months following Prime Minister Justine Trudeau’s push for engagement with India.

Last year, the North American country sent the ministers of infrastructure and immigration to India to bolster ties. However, it is yet to support New Delhi’s candidature for permanent membership in the U.N. Security Council.

A visible face of the government, Mr. Swarup dealt with several high-tension matters, including India’s campaign to isolate Pakistan following the Pathankot and Uri attacks. A 1986 batch foreign service officer, his previous postings have included Ankara, Kobe, London, Washington DC, and Addis Ababa. Mr. Swarup is the author of

Q&A , a novel that was made into the Hollywood blockbuster

Slumdog Millionaire .

Gopal Baglay, the present joint secretary in charge of the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran desk, will be the next spokesperson.