London: Michael Arthur, Director General, European Union at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, will be the new British High Commissioner to India.

Fifty three-year old Arthur, who will succeed Sir Rob Young, will take up his new appointment in October 2003.

"I am absolutely delighted at the prospect of coming to Delhi later this year," Arthur said in a statement in London.

"The Indo-British relationship is vitally important and the range of our joint interests and cooperation covers the full spectrum of issues. Our business and people-to-people links are growing all the time.

"I am greatly looking forward to the challenge of taking the agenda forward," he said.

For the last two years, Arthur has been Director General in the British Foreign Office dealing with Economic issues including the G-8 and the European Union.

Earlier he had held various diplomatic posts. He was Minister and Deputy Head of Mission in Washington from 1999-2001, Political Counsellor and Head of Chancery in Paris in 1993-97 and First Secretary, Chancery in Bonn.

PTI