India appoints Dinesh K. Patnaik, presently its Ambassador to Spain, as its next High Commissioner to Canada

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Anita Anand on Thursday announced that Christopher Cooter will become High Commissioner for Canada in the Republic of India, a position previously held by Cameron MacKay.

This announcement follows a commitment made by Prime Minister Mark Carney and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G7 Summit last June to appoint new High Commissioners to Canada and India. The appointments are an important step towards restoring necessary diplomatic services to citizens and businesses in both countries, said Anand.

Meanwhile, India’s Foreign Affairs Ministry announced on Thursday that Dinesh K. Patnaik, presently Ambassador to Spain, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Canada. Patnaik joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1990.

Cooter has 35 years of diplomatic experience, having served most recently as Canada’s Chargé d’affaires to Israel and as Canada’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Mauritius and Madagascar. Cooter also served as First Secretary in the Canadian High Commission to India, Nepal and Bhutan, in New Delhi, from 1998 to 2000.

Anand said: “The appointment of a new High Commissioner reflects Canada’s step-by-step approach to deepening diplomatic engagement and advancing bilateral cooperation with India. This appointment is an important development toward restoring services for Canadians while strengthening the bilateral relationship to support Canada’s economy.”

PATNAIK, who assumed charge as Ambassador of India to Spain and Andorra in January 2022, is a career diplomat of the Indian Foreign Service with over 30 years of experience in a variety of interesting and challenging assignments. He has served in Indian missions in Geneva, Dhaka, Beijing and Vienna.

At New Delhi headquarters, he served in the Europe West, External Publicity, Africa and UN Divisions.

Patnaik served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Vienna from 2009 to 2012, as India’s Ambassador to Cambodia from 2012 to 2015, as Ambassador to Morocco from 2015 to 2016, and as Deputy High Commissioner of India to London from 2016 to 2018.

He was Additional Secretary (Indian Ocean Region) from November 2018 to July 2019 and thereafter Additional Secretary (Consular, Passport & Visa, and Overseas Indian Affairs) from July 2019 to January 2020 in the Ministry of External Affairs.

He held the post of Director-General of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

Patnaik is married to Poonam who is an international educator. They have two daughters.