Navdeep Suri to be consul-general in SA

NEW DELHI: The Indian government seems to have run out of patience with the seemingly endless delay by Pakistan in reopening its consulate in Mumbai and has decided to send Navdeep Suri, who was earlier named India's consul general in Karachi, as its new consul general in Johannesburg.

Suri will take charge in Johannesburg in August, official sources told IANS.

A 1983-batch officer, Suri, joint secretary in the external affairs ministry (West Africa), has served in India's missions in Washington and London in the past.

Last year the Indian government had cleared the name of Suri for the post of consul general in Karachi, which was expected to simultaneously reopen along with the Pakistani consulate in Mumbai Jan 1, 2006.

The reopening of the consulates was, however, delayed due to a feud over the property chosen by the Pakistani high commission for its consulate in Mumbai in downtown Nariman Point.

Islamabad has not been very enthusiastic about opening its consulate in Mumbai and that is why what started as a quarrel with the building owners turned into an excuse for indefinite postponement, Indian officials told IANS.