On Friday, December 22nd, the newly appointed High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, presented his credentials to President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The ceremony took place at the Presidential Secretariat. Prior to his current role, Jha served as the Indian Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the European Union. He also held the position of Ambassador of India in Uzbekistan from July 2019 to July 2020. Additionally, Jha served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Washington DC from July 2017 to June 2019. He has an extensive background in diplomatic service, having served in various capacities at Indian Missions in Moscow, Vladivostok, New York, and Colombo. Jha played a significant role in the development of India-US relations, particularly in the areas of space, nuclear, defense, and high technology. He also contributed to the negotiation teams for Free Trade Agreements with Sri Lanka and the European Union. Furthermore, Jha played a crucial role in establishing the framework for development cooperation between India and Sri Lanka after the civil conflict in 2009. It is worth mentioning that Gopal Baglay, Jha’s predecessor, has been appointed as India’s High Commissioner to Australia.
