India`s new envoy to UK presents credentials to Queen

London: Veteran diplomat and India`s High Commissioner to the UK, Ranjan Mathai, Wednesday presented his credentials to Queen Elizabeth II at the Buckingham Palace. "It was a great privilege to have been received at the palace and present my letters of credence to Her Majesty the Queen," Mathai said.

"I had a very interesting discussion with her and told her about the message that I had received from the President of India and Prime Minister of India about the strong sense we have about the relationship between our two countries," he said. 61-year-old Mathai, who had served as India`s foreign secretary, succeeded Jaimini Bhagwati who retired last year. Mathai had previously served in Indian Missions in Vienna, Colombo, Washington, Paris, Tehran, Brussels and in London. He earlier served in London as the deputy high commission from 2005 to 2007.