Sanjiv Arora, IFS (1984), has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Lebanon. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly. Arora joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1984 and has served in various capacities in India’s diplomatic missions in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Germany and Czech Republic.
- He was Desk Officer for Sri Lanka in Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi, from 1991-1994.
- He served as Director on secondment to Ministry of Finance during 2003-04. Before coming to Houston in November, 2008, Arora was Head of United Nations (Political) Division in Ministry of External Affairs from 2005-08.
- In that capacity, he dealt with India’s foreign policy on a wide range of issues at the United Nations.
- He was Government of India’s nodal official for UN General Assembly (UNGA) Sessions. Arora is very proud that he had a role in the government of India’s initiative to table a resolution at UNGA for observance of Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday on October 2 as the International Day of Non-Violence.
- UNGA unanimously adopted this resolution on June 15, 2007.
- In June, 2016 while serving as India’s Ambassador to Qatar Arora was amidst the controversy for an alleged financial impropriety and ‘lack of integrity’. The charges relate to Arora’s activities as India’s consul general in Houston, Texas, US.
