Following unceremonious departure of James Andrew Sparkes, John Rankin has finally arrived in Kathmandu as Head of Mission (Charge d’Affaires) at the British Embassy.

Ambassador Sparkes had resigned from the British diplomatic services citing personal reasons. However poor Sparkes was hounded by media in Nepal for openly supporting right to religious conversion in an open letter published in one of the English language dailies of the country.

The erratic British former Ambassador in his open letter to Nepal’s parliamentarians published in the Republica Daily titled ‘sabhasad-jyus’ had said that ‘Protection of Right to Religious Conversion’ must be guaranteed in the new constitution.

Rankin comes to Nepal following four years as British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and non-resident High Commissioner to the Maldives.

So he is an expert of Sri Lankan domestic conflict.

Prior to his posting in Sri Lanka, Mr Rankin was Director, Americas in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, responsible for a network of over 30 British Embassies, High Commissions and other posts in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

He joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1988 as a Legal Adviser and served in that capacity at the UK Mission to the UN and to the UK Mission to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. He has also served as Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Dublin, working on the Northern Ireland peace process, and was Her Majesty’s Consul General in Boston.

Upon his arrival in Kathmandu Mr Rankin said according to a British Embassy correspondence:

“I am pleased to be here in Nepal. Our two countries share a long and close relationship, now approaching two hundred years, built on the links between our people, our partnership in defence through the Gurkhas and peacekeeping operations, and our commitment to development as Nepal’s largest bilateral donor. I very much look forward to building on these strong foundations during my time here.”

Welcome to Kathmandu Mr. Rankin. 

John Rankin is UK Head of Mission in Nepal

Telegraphnepal

Following unceremonious departure of James Andrew Sparkes, John Rankin has finally arrived in Kathmandu as Head of Mission (Charge d’Affaires) at the British Embassy.

Ambassador Sparkes had resigned from the British diplomatic services citing personal reasons. However poor Sparkes was hounded by media in Nepal for openly supporting right to religious conversion in an open letter published in one of the English language dailies of the country.

The erratic British former Ambassador in his open letter to Nepal’s parliamentarians published in the Republica Daily titled ‘sabhasad-jyus’ had said that ‘Protection of Right to Religious Conversion’ must be guaranteed in the new constitution.

Rankin comes to Nepal following four years as British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and non-resident High Commissioner to the Maldives.

So he is an expert of Sri Lankan domestic conflict.

Prior to his posting in Sri Lanka, Mr Rankin was Director, Americas in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, responsible for a network of over 30 British Embassies, High Commissions and other posts in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

He joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1988 as a Legal Adviser and served in that capacity at the UK Mission to the UN and to the UK Mission to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. He has also served as Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Dublin, working on the Northern Ireland peace process, and was Her Majesty’s Consul General in Boston.

Upon his arrival in Kathmandu Mr Rankin said according to a British Embassy correspondence:

“I am pleased to be here in Nepal. Our two countries share a long and close relationship, now approaching two hundred years, built on the links between our people, our partnership in defence through the Gurkhas and peacekeeping operations, and our commitment to development as Nepal’s largest bilateral donor. I very much look forward to building on these strong foundations during my time here.”

Welcome to Kathmandu Mr. Rankin. 

@telegraph