New Delhi, Jan 4 (PTI) Seasoned diplomat Indra Mani Pandey on Thursday assumed charge as the new secretary general of seven-nation BIMSTEC in a first for an Indian official to hold the key position of the regional grouping.
Pandey, a 1990-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) official, was serving as India’s permanent representative to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva prior to taking up the new assignment.
Besides India, the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) comprises Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan.
Pandey assumed the charge as the fourth secretary general of BIMSTEC at its secretariat in Dhaka. He succeeded Bhutan’s Tenzin Lekphell. He will have a tenure of three years at the prestigious post.
On his arrival in Dhaka earlier in the day, Pandey was warmly received by Abdul Motaleb Sarker, Director General (SAARC and BIMSTEC), at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh.
In a brief address to officials of the BIMSTEC secretariat, Pandey reiterated commitment to work with a new vigour to translate into reality the grand vision of the member states of the grouping in expanding and deepening cooperation.
He thanked the member states of BIMSTEC for entrusting him with the responsibility and sought their continued support and guidance.
India has been making concerted efforts to make BIMSTEC a vibrant forum for regional cooperation as initiatives under the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) were not moving forward for a variety of reasons.
In his over three-decade-long diplomatic career, Pandey also served as additional secretary in-charge of disarmament and international security division in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
His other postings include ambassador of India to the Sultanate of Oman, deputy ambassador of India to France, consul general of India at Guangzhou in China.
Pandey has also served in various capacities at the Indian Missions in Cairo, Damascus, Islamabad and Kabul. PTI MPB AS AS
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