New Delhi: Anil Wadhwa, currently secretary (east) in the External Affairs Ministry, was on Thursday named India's new ambassador to Italy.
"Anil Wadhwa (IFS 1979), currently secretary (east) in the ministry, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of lndia to the Republic of ltaly," the ministry said in a statement. "He is expected to take up his assignment shortly."
Wadhwa will replace Basant K Gupta at the Indian embassy in Rome.
Born on May 26, 1957, Wadhwa has been a member of the Indian Foreign Service since July 1, 1979.
His previous diplomatic assignments include serving as third secretary in the commission of India in Hong Kong, second secretary/first secretary in the Indian embassy in Beijing, under secretary/deputy secretary in the external affairs ministry in New Delhi, UN disarmament fellow in Geneva, first secretary (disarmament) at the permanent mission of India in Geneva, and counsellor at the Indian embassy in Beijing.
He was also director/joint secretary on deputation to the Provisional Technical Secretariat and later the Technical Secretariat for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague, chief advisor in the external affairs ministry (earthquake relief) in Gujarat, and joint secretary (central and eastern Europe) in the ministry.
Wadhwa has served as the Indian ambassador to Poland, Oman, and Thailand.
He holds a masters degree in history with specialisation in Chinese history and mediaeval Indian history and architecture. He is fluent in English, Hindi and Chinese and knows French.
Wadhwa has contributed a number of articles, mainly in the field of disarmament and international security, to various publications.
