New Delhi, Oct 27 (PTI) Senior diplomat Vani Sarraju Rao has been appointed as India's new ambassador to Italy, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.

Rao, who is a 1994-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, is currently serving as an additional secretary in the MEA.

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She succeeds Neena Malhotra.

"She is expected to take up the assignment shortly," the MEA said in a brief statement.

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