New Delhi: Retired diplomats Ranendra Sen and Kamlesh Sharma were today (July 19, 2004) appointed India's envoys to the US and UK respectively.

Sen, a 1966 batch IFS officer and a former High Commissioner to UK, and Sharma, a former Permanent Representative to the UN, would assume charge of their respective offices shortly, a External Affairs Ministry release said.

Besides the UK, Sen had served as India's ambassador to Russia, Germany and Mexico, and retired in April this year.

He succeeds Lalit Mansingh.