Anurag Srivastava to replace Raveesh Kumar as MEA spokesperson: Report

Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Anurag Srivastava will replace Raveesh Kumar as the spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), sources said. The announcement is likely to be made today.

Srivastava is currently serving as India's Ambassador to Ethiopia and African Union. He is a 1999-batch IFS officer.

Before taking up his assignment as ambassador to Ethiopia, he headed the Finance Division of MEA which is tasked to administer the ministry's annual budget of about US $2 billion. Srivastava has also headed the political wing at the Indian High Commission in Colombo.

Srivastava earlier served at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in Geneva.

With degrees in engineering and business management, Srivastava worked in the corporate sector before joining the Indian Foreign Service. He also has a Postgraduate Diploma in Diplomatic Studies from the University of Oxford, UK.

Raveesh Kumar, meanwhile, is likely to ge an ambassadorial posting in Europe. He was appointed the MEA spokesperson in August, 2017, at the age of 47.

(Inputs and image from hindustantimes.com)