New Delhi: Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi has been appointed India's next Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva.

A 1995-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Bagchi is an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.

Bagchi took over as spokesperson in March 2021. His tenure was eventful as it spanned the COVID-19 pandemic, the standoff with China in eastern Ladakh, India hosting the G20 Summit in September this year and the increased pace of India's engagements with various partners.

"Arindam Bagchi (IFS:1995), presently Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, has been appointed as the next Ambassador/Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva," an MEA release said.

It said that Bagchi is expected to take up the assignment shortly.