Vinay Mohan Kwatra named new Indian Envoy to Nepal

KATHMANDU, Jan 15: Two weeks after the departure of outgoing envoy Manjeev Singh Puri, India has named Vinay Mohan Kwatra as the new ambassador of India to Nepal.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has already written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nepal seeking his approval, according to diplomatic sources.

Mohan is currently serving as the Indian Ambassador to France. Once his agreemo is approved from Kathmandu, he will return to New Delhi. India is expected to make a formal announcement regarding his appointment later this month.

Kwatra, a member of the Indian Foreign Service with experience since 1988 in a range of assignments, is expected to arrive in Kathmandu in February.

PROFILE

A diploma in International Relations, he served as Third Secretary and then Second Secretary in the Permanent Mission of India in Geneva until 1993, where he handled work relating to the UN specialized agencies, as also the Human Rights Commission. 

He also served as a desk officer at the headquarters dealing with the United Nations, and subsequently in the Diplomatic Missions in South Africa and Uzbekistan between 1993 and 2003. 

He then served as Counselor and later as the Deputy Chief of Mission in the Embassy of India, Beijing, China till 2006. 

He represented India at the SAARC Secretariat in Nepal as head of the Trade, Economy and Finance Bureau between 2006 and 2010.

From May 2010 till July 2013, he served as Minister (Commerce) in the Embassy of India, Washington.

Between July 2013 and October 2015, Mr. Kwatra headed the Policy Planning & Research Division of the Ministry of External Affairs and later served as the head of Americas Division in the Foreign Ministry where he dealt with India’s relations with the United States and Canada. 

From October 2015 till August 2017, Mr. Kwatra served as a Joint Secretary in the office of the Prime Minister of India.