Senior diplomat Santosh Jha was named India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka on Wednesday, succeeding Gopal Baglay, who was named High Commissioner to Australia. Jha is the Ambassador of India to Belgium, a seasoned Indian Foreign Service officer from the 1993 batch.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed the appointment in a statement, noting, “Santosh Jha (IFS: 1993), presently Ambassador of India to Belgium, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly.”
Prior to his role as India’s Ambassador to Belgium, Jha held the position of Ambassador of India to Uzbekistan and served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Washington. His diplomatic career has encompassed postings in Moscow, Vladivostok, New York, and Colombo, along with assignments at the Ministry of External Affairs.
Ambassador Santosh Jha assumed his current role as Ambassador of India to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the European Union on July 17, 2020. Notably, he previously served at the Indian Embassy in Brussels from 2010 to 2013, during which time he held the position of Deputy Chief of Mission and also briefly served as Charge d’ Affaires from January to September 2012.
Between 2013 and 2017, Ambassador Jha held various leadership positions in the Ministry of External Affairs. From July 2013 to September 2014, he led the MEA Division for Human Resources and Management Affairs, and from October 2014 to April 2015, he led the MEA Division for Relations with Western Europe and the European Union. The appointment of Ambassador Santosh Jha as High Commissioner to Sri Lanka reflects his continued commitment to advancing India’s diplomatic interests on a global scale.
Last month, India and Sri Lanka formalised a ‘vision document’ aimed at deepening their economic partnership. This achievement occurred during discussions between Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. President Wickremesinghe’s visit to India was his first since taking office a year ago, after an economic crisis sparked widespread protests in Sri Lanka and forced his predecessor, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to resign. It is worth noting that India was crucial in assisting Sri Lanka during this difficult period, contributing to the country’s efforts to overcome the crisis.