Ranjan Mathai is new High Commissioner to UK

Former Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai has been appointed as country's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

"He is expected to take up his assignment shortly," External Affairs Ministry said today while announcing the appointment.

A 1974-batch IFS officer, Mathai, who retired as Foreign Secretary on July 31 this year, will succeed Jaimini Bhagwati.

61-year-old Mathai took over as Foreign Secretary on August 1, 2011. Apart from serving as India's Ambassador to France, he also had postings in Israel and Qatar among other places.