DHARAMSHALA, February 20: Tashi Phuntsok has been appointed as the new secretary for information of the Department of Information and International Relations of the Dharamshala based Central Tibetan Administration. Phuntsok replaces Tashi, who retired after serving the exile administration for 35 years.

The new secretary took over charges earlier this month although the handing over ceremony was held only yesterday, an official CTA report said.

According to the report, the outgoing secretary welcomed Phuntsok and expressed hope that under his “dynamic leadership DIIR will further progress in the right direction.” Tashi further urged staff members to extend full co-operation to the new secretary.

With over 33 years of service in the Tibetan community and the exile administration, Phuntsok has served most prominently as the Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in South Africa and France from 1997-2001 and 2001-2005 respectively. He was the Chief Representative Officer of the Southern Tibetan Settlements, Bangalore from 2010- 2012, before his posting as the Additional Secretary at DIIR.

The outgoing secretary, Tashi joined the Tibetan administrative service in 1976, initially working as a junior clerk in Tezu Tibetan settlement, the report said. He continued to service in various capacities at different departments of the CTA, most notably as the Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Russia for six years. He was appointed the Secretary of DIIR on February 4, 2012.

The Department of Information and International Relations is one of the seven main departments under Kashag, the Tibetan Cabinet. It has its origin in Chisee Khang (the Foreign Relations Office), which was re-established in exile in 1959, after the Chinese occupation of Tibet.