White is expected to take up his appointment in April 2013, replacing outgoing Susan Grace, according to a media release issued by the Australian foreign ministry on Monday. [break]
A career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and trade, White is currently director of the department´s Counter-Terrorism Cooperation Section.
He previously served as Australian ambassador to Jordan, deputy head of mission in Baghdad and in Riyadh and as a senior civilian monitor in the Peace Monitoring Group in Bougainville, said the media release.
White holds Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Anthropology from the Australian National University. He is married and has three children.
As one of the popular destinations of Nepalese students for abroad studies, Australia is currently home to more than 26,000 people of Nepalese descent. Around 18,000 Australians visited Nepal in the year 2012.
Australia-Nepalese relations extend over 50 years. Bilateral trade between the countries is worth approximately $25 million a year including Australian exports of food, animal oils and refined petroleum and imports of floor coverings and clothing.
Australia´s development contribution to Nepal since the 1960s include assistance in forestry, public health, education, water supply and sanitation, income generation and scholarships for post-graduate study in Australia. Australian assistance with peace-building and democratic development was AUSD $29.9 million in 2012-13.
Australia also works with the Government of Nepal, the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology and the Fred Hollows Foundation on reducing avoidable blindness in the region by developing safe and cheap procedures for cataract surgery.
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