Bruce Bucknell is new British Deputy High Commissioner

Bruce Bucknell is the new British Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata.

"I relish the challenge of working to further the vibrant people-to-people links and deep business connections with eastern India. This is a fascinating part of India, and very diverse in culture, heritage, language, and geography. I expect to be busy," Bucknell said in a statement today.

He represents the UK in 13 states - West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Before taking up his assignment in Kolkata, Bucknell was Ambassador to the Republic of Belarus from 2012-16.