New Delhi [India], July 1 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday announced the appointment of Jayant Khobragade of the Indian Foreign Service batch of 1995, as the next Ambassador of India to Spain.

Khobragade is currently serving as the Ambassador of India to ASEAN, is expected to assume his new role in Spain shortly, according to an official statement from the MEA.

'Shri Jayant Khobragade (IFS: 1995), presently Ambassador of India to ASEAN, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Spain. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly,' the statement read.

He will be replaced by Srinivas Gotru of IFS batch of 1997 who's appointed as the next Ambassador of India to ASEAN was announced by the MEA back in January.

Gotru was serving as the Joint Secretary in the MEA.

India and Spain have maintained cordial relations since establishing diplomatic ties in 1956. Notable milestones include Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official visit to Spain in May 2017 and regular engagements between leaders on the sidelines of global summits, including the G20 in 2018 and 2021. In February 2023, a phone call between the prime ministers reiterated confidence in the growing relationship between the two nations.

Additionally, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar has consistently engaged with Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares during events like the UNGA sessions in 2022 and 2024.

Bilateral ties have expanded beyond politics to include cultural and educational collaborations. In 2023, the University of Valladolid signed two MoUs with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to establish chairs in Hindi Language and Indian Studies.

Further strengthening academic relations, the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE) signed an MoU in July 2024 to foster higher education partnerships.

The Indian diaspora in Spain, numbering approximately 75,000, primarily resides in Catalonia, Valencia, Madrid, and the Canary Islands. In response to growing consular service demands, the Consulate General of India was inaugurated in Barcelona on August 13, 2024, marking another step in enhancing India-Spain relations. (ANI)