Seasoned diplomat Muktesh Kumar Pardeshi has been appointed as India's new ambassador to Turkiye -- a country that has emerged as an influential player in the resolution of regional conflicts, including in the Middle-East.
Pardeshi, a 1991-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is currently serving as a secretary at the ministry of external affairs (MEA).
"He is expected to take up the assignment shortly," the MEA said in a brief statement.
Pardeshi was a key member of a group of top officials who played a key role in India's successful hosting of the G20 Summit in September last year, including managing to produce a leaders' declaration overcoming deep divisions over the Ukraine conflict.
The post of India's ambassador to Turkiye has been lying vacant since June after the demise of incumbent Virander Paul following prolonged illness.