India’s former High Commissioner in London Kamalesh Sharma will formally take over as the new Secretary General of the 53-member Commonwealth Nations, the first Indian to assume that august office.

66-year-old Sharma, a veteran diplomat, succeeds Don McKinnon, former Foreign Minister of New Zealand. On his election, Sharma said: “It is an honour and privilege to serve this great institution. I do so with confidence and enthusiasm and would like to express my gratitude to all the leaders for the responsibility and trust they have given me to carry forward the work of the Commonwealth.”

Since 2004, as a member of the Board of Governors of the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Foundation, he has taken very keen interest in the activities and advocacy of the Commonwealth, significantly enhancing India’s active engagement with it. He represented India at the meetings of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group in February and November 2005 and led India’s delegation at the pre-Commonwealth Heads of Government Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Malta in 2005.