Arun Goel Appointed as India’s New Ambassador to Croatia

The Government of India has announced the appointment of Arun Goel as the next Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia. Goel is expected to assume his new role shortly, as per the Ministry of External Affairs.

Arun Goel, a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the 1985 Punjab Cadre batch, holds a post-graduate degree in Development Economics from Churchill College, University of Cambridge, England. On November 21, 2022, he took office as the Election Commissioner of India. He has also served as Secretary in the Ministry of Heavy Industries from 2020 to 2022 and as Secretary in the Ministry of Culture from 2018 to 2019.

Diplomatic relations between India and Croatia were established on July 9, 1992. Croatia opened its Resident Mission in New Delhi in February 1995, and India established its Mission in Zagreb on April 28, 1996, which was later upgraded to the Ambassadorial level in January 1998. Notable high-level visits have taken place, including a state visit by Croatian President Stjepan Mesic in November 2002 and a visit by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Marija Pejcinovic Buric in October 2018.