File picture: Mukul Arya | Pic courtesy: https://www.roiramallah.gov.inKEY HIGHLIGHTS
- S Jaishankar, the minister for external affairs, expressed deep grief over Mukul Arya’s death
- According to the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, the Indian representative died at his workplace in Ramallah
- Foreign Ministry officials are in contact with the Ministry of External Affairs to arrange for the transport of Arya’s mortal remains to India
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday took to Twitter to share the shocking news of the sudden demise of Mukul Arya, India’s representative at the Palestinian city of Ramallah.Sending out his deepest condolences to Arya’s family and loved ones, Jaishankar described him as a “bright and talented officer”.The cause of death of Arya, a 2008-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, was not immediately known.Previously, Arya (38) worked at the Indian embassies in Kabul and Moscow, and at the headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi.Related NewsIndian envoy to Palestine Mukul Arya dies inside embassy, EAM Jaishankar says deeply shockedMoreover, he has also served at the Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO in Paris.Before joining the Indian Foreign Service, Arya studied economics at Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University.The young diplomat had taken over as India’s Representative to the State of Palestine last year.His profile on the website of India’s Representative Office in Palestine reads as follows:”Shri Mukul Arya is a career Diplomat at the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. He has served at the Ministry in Delhi, in addition to serving at the Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO in Paris and at the Embassies of India in Kabul and Moscow.He was raised and educated in Delhi, studied Economics at Delhi University and JNU, before joining the Indian Foreign Service in 2008.”In a statement, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry stated that it received the news of Ary’a death with “great astonishment and shock”.”As soon as this painful news arrived, immediate instructions were issued from President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh to all the security, police and public authorities, in addition to the Ministry of Health and Forensic Medicine, to immediately move to the place of residence of the Indian ambassador to closely monitor the case of death,” it said in a statement.It also said that “all parties are fully prepared to do what is required of them in such difficult and emergency circumstances.”According to the ministry, it is working with India’s External Affairs Ministry on the transport arrangements for Arya’s mortal remains.