Indian diplomat Kamalesh Sharma was on Saturday appointed by the 53-nation Commonwealth of mainly former British colonies as its next secretary-general, during the CHOGM 2007, Kampala, Uganda. - File

The 53-nation Commonwealth of mainly former British colonies on Saturday appointed an Indian diplomat, Kamalesh Sharma, as its next secretary-general.

Sharma, the Indian High Commissioner in London, will take over on April 1 from New Zealand's Don McKinnon, who has done the job for two terms, or eight years.

"It is a tough job I have taken over but I do so with confidence and enthusiasm ... the Common-wealth is a great global good," Sharma said when his appointment was announced by McKinnon during a summit of the group in Uganda.

The Commonwealth's members represent 1.8 billion people, or more than a quarter of the world's population.

Sharma beat Maltese Foreign Minister Michael Frendo to the job.

- Reuters