After two months, Indian mission in Qatar to get envoy
As reported first by this newspaper in March 28, Joint Secretary (Gulf) Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Vipul will soon assume charge as Ambassador in Doha.
Published: 12th June 2023 08:43 AM | Last Updated: 12th June 2023 09:15 AM | A+A A-
The Joint Secretary (Gulf) Vipul is to be the next Indian Ambassador to Qatar ( Photo | Twitter)
NEW DELHI: After a gap of nearly two months, the Indian Embassy in Doha will soon have an Ambassador. As reported first by this newspaper on March 28, Joint Secretary (Gulf) Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Vipul will soon assume charge as Ambassador in Doha.
“This was an announcement we have been avidly waiting for. Vipul is aware of the entire case of our eight naval veterans and our hopes of repatriation have been revived,’’ said a kin of the naval veteran in solitary confinement in Doha.
The eight naval veterans have been under confinement since August 2022 and after charges were made they are being tried under Qatari Law. The Indian government is taking care of the legal proceedings and many family members of these veterans are already in Doha.
“Three hearings have taken place since the charges were made and though we have no clue on what they actually our we are optimistic that justice will prevail. And with Vipul’s moving there we will have more clarity on what's going on in Doha. The next hearing is on June 21st as we hope to get some respite,’’ the kin added.
The task for the new Ambassador in Qatar will be an uphill one and expectations will be high amongst the family members now of their early repatriation. Vipul, a 1998-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, is presently serving as the joint secretary in the Gulf division at the headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi.
In his current position, Vipul has been handling India’s diplomatic engagement with the Middle East region. India’s overall ties with the Middle East region has witnessed a significant upswing in the last few years. The last Ambassador, Deepak Mitttal, returned to India at the end of March and joined the Prime Ministers' Office (PMO).
