The Centre has named senior diplomat Gopal Baglay spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs while incumbent Vikas Swarup has been made India’s High Commissioner to Canada, reported PTI. “Delighted to take over as official spokesperson. Hope to have your cooperation in continuing the high traditions set by my predecessors,” Baglay tweeted as he took charge on Monday.

The ministry’s official Twitter handle has been transferred from Swarup to Baglay. Minutes before the handover, Swarup posted, “Today I bid farewell as the official spokesperson, an extraordinary privilege and honour!” Swarup also wished Baglay all the success. “He will take MEA communications to the next level, online & offline!” Swarup tweeted.

Till date, Baglay used to head the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division of the ministry. An Indian Foreign Service officer of the 1992 batch, Baglay was the press counsellor at the Kathmandu embassy and the Indian deputy high commissioner to Pakistan from 2011 to 2014, reported IANS.

Baglay, on the other hand, has been replaced by Deepak Mittal as the head of the MEA’s PAI division. A 1998-batch IFS officer, Mittal was the joint secretary in the Consular, Passport and Visa division of the ministry. Earlier, he was the consul general in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.