MEA Appoints Mission Heads To Papua New Guinea, Malawi

In two separate orders, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) made the appointments. In its first official release, it said, “Rajeev Kumar (IFS: 2001), presently DDG, ICCR, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Independent State of Papua New Guinea.” He is expected to take up the assignment shortly, it added.

Kumar is presently serving as Deputy Director General (DDG) of the Indian Council For Cultural Relations (ICCR) in New Delhi.  

India opened its High Commission at Port Moresby in April 1996, while Papua New Guinea (PNG) opened its resident Diplomatic Mission in New Delhi in October 2006.

Diplomatic relations with PNG were earlier conducted from Suva/Kuala Lumpur. India and PNG enjoy warm and friendly relations. Both countries have been working closely in international fora, including the United Nations.

In another order, the MEA appointed Gujar as India’s next High Commissioner to Malawi, a country in southeastern Africa. Kumar is presently serving as the Deputy Chief of Mission in Rome, Italy. 

The MEA, in its second official release, said, “Amararam Gujar (IFS: 2008), presently Deputy Chief of Mission, Rome, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Malawi.” He is expected to take up the assignment shortly, it added.

According to the MEA, India and Malawi share cordial and friendly bilateral relations. India established diplomatic relations with Malawi immediately after its Independence in 1964.

Subsequently, a resident Mission in Malawi was established, but due to administrative reasons, the High Commission in Malawi was closed in 1993, though India continued to have diplomatic relations with Malawi, it added.

Malawi was concurrently accredited to India’s Mission in Zambia until February 2012. The resident Mission was re-opened in March, 2012. Malawi opened its Mission in Delhi in February, 2007, the MEA said.