New Delhi: Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday announced senior diplomat Ruchi Ghanshyam as India’s next High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

Currently posted as the Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Ghanshyam is a 1982-batch Indian Foreign Service officer.

Ghanshyam, who is a 1982-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is currently serving the role of Secretary (West) in the MEA.

She succeeds Y K Sinha who had assumed the charge as the Indian High Commissioner in the UK in December, 2016.

As per the ministry, Ghanshyam will take charge shortly.

The 58-year-old diplomat’s appointment comes at a time when UK is in the process of coming out of the European Union.

She had served as the Minister in the Permanent Mission to India to the United Nations in New York from 2004 to 2008.

She had also earlier served as the envoys to various countries such as South Africa, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Togo and Lesotho.

(with inputs from agencies)