New Delhi: Senior diplomat and former high- profile spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry Syed Akbaruddin has been appointed as India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, succeeding Asoke Mukerji.

A 1985 batch IFS officer, Akbaruddin, currently serving as an Additional Secretary in MEA, is credited with bringing a whiff of fresh air into the Ministry's External Publicity division during his three-and-half year tenure as the spokesperson.