Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay relinquished charge as Government of India’s Head of Mission to Sri Lanka on December 15 and has been named as the next High Commissioner of India to Australia.
High Commissioner Baglay participated in a farewell reception at the Taj Samudra Hotel on December 13. High Commissioner Baglay assumed charge in Sri Lanka in May 2020 and his term as India’s top diplomat in the country witnessed several unmatched milestones in the bilateral partnership. He was instrumental in realising several crowning achievements in India-Sri Lanka ties.
Among the key highlights of his term was the multi-pronged assistance worth US$ 4 billion, in response to the economic challenges in Sri Lanka in 2022. Signing of Modalities Agreement for the possession, development and use of Trincomalee Tank Farms and Joint Venture between CPC & LIOC in January 2022 also deserve a special mention. Under his watch, India supplied more than 25 tons of medicines, made in India Covid-19 vaccine, Rapid Antigen Test kits and Liquid Medical Oxygen, to Sri Lanka to tide over the Covid-19 pandemic.
The economic and commercial engagement between the two countries got a major boost during his tenure. There have been multiple bilateral MoUs including for cooperation in renewable energy, for intergrid connection, for development of Trincomalee, for UPI-application acceptance and digital payments, utilisation of INR- denominated trade settlements. India has also emerged to be the largest trading partner of Sri Lanka. Various dimensions of connectivity also deepened such as the resumption of Chennai-Jaffna flights and recommencement of ferry services.
Santosh Jha shall be assuming charge as the next High Commissioner of India in Colombo. Jha is currently serving as India’s Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Jha has served in diverse capacities in several countries and New Delhi.
Pix by Sulochana Gamage
