 Ottawa: Canada has appointed diplomat Cameron Mackay as its new high commissioner to India, replacing Nadir Patel.
Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly on Thursday announced the appointments of the new High Commissioner to India and the Consuls General to Bengaluru, Chandigarh and Mumbai.
Cameron Mackay, who is moving from his post as ambassador to Indonesia and Timor-Leste, has expertise in trade negotiations, pointing towards a focus on such discussions that were revived this year. And having served in Jakarta, Mackay is also familiar with issues concerning the Indo-Pacific, as Ottawa frames a comprehensive new strategy for the region.
Cameron Mackay joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 1995, and has served as director of regional trade policy from 2008-10, director general for China trade policy from 2012-13, director general of the Trade Negotiations Bureau from 2013-15 and director general of the Trade Sectors Bureau from 2015-17.
These new appointments were announced as Canada and India continue to engage over a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA), which have been discussed for over a decade but talks had stalled in recent years.
