AYESHA Patricia Rekhi is Canada’s new ambassador to the Czech Republic, according to an announcement on Wednesday by Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Rekhi was counsellor for political and economic affairs and permanent observer to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok from 2016 to 2019.
Rekhi earned her BA Hons [Political Science] from McGill University in 1996, her MSc [Development Studies] from London School of Economics and Political Science in 1997 and her MPA from Harvard University in 2016.
She joined Citizenship and Immigration Canada in 1999 and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 2002. At Headquarters, she was the deputy director of the Southeast Asia and Oceania Division from 2010 to 2011 and previously served as an adviser on peacebuilding and human security issues.
Overseas, she served as vice-consul for immigration in Hong Kong from 2000 to 2002, first secretary for political and economic affairs in New Delhi from 2005 to 2009, counsellor for political and public affairs in Hanoi from 2012 to 2015, according to an official press release.
Besides being proficient in English and French, Rekhi has limited working proficiency in Vietnamese and elementary proficiency in Hindi, according to LinkedIn.