Today I announce the appointment of Mr Andrew Ford as Australia’s new Consul-General in Kolkata.
Mr Ford will establish and lead our new diplomatic presence in Kolkata, Australia’s fourth diplomatic post in India.
India is at the forefront of Australia’s international partnerships. In 2017-18, India was Australia’s fifth largest trading partner, with a total two-way trade in goods and services of $29.1 billion, and two-way investment in 2017 of AU$29.5 billion.
The Consulate-General in Kolkata will play a key role in furthering Australia’s trade, commercial and investment interests in the eastern and north east Indian states of West Bengal, Arunachal, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland Odisha, Pradesh, Sikkim and Tripura. Australia’s economic links with West Bengal and neighbouring states are substantial and expanding, including through the Australia-India Mining Partnership.
Mr Ford is a career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was most recently Head of Mission, Australian High Commission, Tonga. He has previously served overseas in Kuala Lumpur and Seoul. In Canberra Mr Ford has held a range of positions, most recently as Director of the Free Trade Agreement Policy and New Issues Section.
Mr Ford holds a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) from Monash University.
