New Delhi, Jan 31 (IANS): The government on Friday appointed senior diplomat and India's Ambassador to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria as High Commissioner to Canada.

In a tweet, Bisaria said he was privileged to be appointed as India's High Commissioner to Canada at a time when the Indo-Canadian "strategic partnership is poised to move to the next level."

Vikas Swaroop served as Indian High Commissioner to Canada till August last year. Bisaria, while serving as the High Commissioner of Pakistan, had returned to India after Islamabad downgraded diplomatic relations in August 2019 following the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir and nullification of its special status in the Indian Constitution.

In Pakistan, Bisaria was instrumental in maintaining links with the neighbouring country through diplomatic channels during the Indian air strikes at terror camps in Balakot and the subsequent escalation of tensions between the two countries. He was also instrumental in initiatives like the Kartarpur Corridor.

A 1987-batch IFS officer, Bisaria is expected to join office in Canada soon, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

In the last 30 years of his service, he had served as private secretary to then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, advisor to the World Bank in Washington and joint secretary, Eurasia, in Ministry of External Affairs.