Toronto (Rajeev Sharma)– The Government of India has named senior diplomat Dinesh K Patnaik as the next High Commissioner to Canada, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Thursday.
Patnaik, a 1990-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service, is presently India’s Ambassador to Spain. His appointment comes at a critical moment for India-Canada relations, which have remained strained since 2023.
Bilateral ties took a downturn after former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged Indian involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian national labeled a Khalistani extremist by New Delhi. India firmly denied the charge, but the controversy led to the expulsion of multiple diplomats from both sides, including then High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma.
Patnaik brings over three decades of diplomatic experience to the role. An alumnus of Delhi University, IIM Calcutta, and the University of Vienna, he has served in various missions abroad, including Geneva, Dhaka, Beijing, and Vienna. Within the MEA, he has handled portfolios relating to Africa, Western Europe, the UN, and external publicity.
His ambassadorial assignments include postings in Cambodia, Morocco, and most recently Spain, where he strengthened India’s strategic and cultural ties with Madrid.
Observers say his experience across continents and in sensitive geopolitical issues makes him well-suited to steer New Delhi’s engagement with Ottawa at a time of heightened diplomatic challenges.
Who is Dinesh K Patnaik? India’s New High Commissioner to Canada, Know All About Him
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