Mr. José Ramón Barañano took charge as Ambassador of Spain in January 2017.
He graduated in 1973 in Economic Sciences (Hons.), obtained post graduate certificate degree in Higher European Studies from College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium in 1975.
Joined the Diplomatic Service in 1978. Began with the International Economic Relations Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) where till 2000 he held positions of Director, Financial & Regional Organizations and Economic Cooperation, and Director, European Community Policies.
From 1980 to 1989 he was successively posted as Commercial Counsellor in the Embassies of Spain in Ecuador, Austria and Morocco. On his return to Madrid in 1989 he again joined as Deputy Director General, Bilateral Economic Relations, at the MFA’s International Economic Relations Department till 2006, the year in which he was nominated as Director General of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
In 2001 he was designated Ambassador to Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Nauru. In 2005 he was appointed at the MFA as Inspector General, Under-Secretariat for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and later between 2008 and 2011 he served as Ambassador to Malaysia and Brunei. In 2011 he was nominated as Senior Counsellor at the MFA´s Directorate General of North America and Asia.
In 2016 he served as Ambassador at Large for International Environmental Affairs at the MFA till his appointment as Ambassador of Spain to India.