Danae Dholakia
Biography
Danae Dholakia arrived in Moscow as the Deputy Head of Mission in June 2025.
Danae Dholakia was the Special Envoy to Africa’s Great Lakes Region from July 2015 to March 2017. She was also Head of Southern and Central Africa Department at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Previously Danae was Political Counsellor in Pretoria. Before taking up her role in South Africa, Danae served 4 years as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Deputy Director covering Eastern Europe and Central Asia. She has worked previously as Deputy Director on Counter-Terrorism issues in the Home Office, on NATO, on the EU in Brussels, and on UN issues. Before joining the Foreign and Commonwealth Office she worked in the NGO sector in Eastern and Central Africa for seven years.
Danae studied Environmental Science to Master’s Degree level at Lancaster and Brunel Universities. She is married.
Deputy Head of Mission to Russia
The Deputy Head of Mission is a senior diplomat and typically a key advisor to the Ambassador or High Commissioner. The Deputy is responsible for the daily management of an overseas Embassy or High Commission. They will represent the UK’s interests in the absence of the Ambassador as Chargé d’Affaires. A senior ranking Deputy may also take the title Minister. Smaller missions may not have a Deputy Head.
Previous roles in government
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Special Envoy for the African Great Lakes and Head of Southern and Central Africa Department