BSS-44 Shringla appointed new foreign secretary of India

813

ZCZC

BSS-44

INDIA-SHRINGLA-FS

Shringla appointed new foreign secretary of India

NEW DELHI, Dec 23, 2019 (BSS) – Harsh Vardhan Shringla, the former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, was appointed as the new foreign secretary of India for a two-year fixed term.

His appointment would be effective from January 29 next year upon completion of two year term of Vijay Keshav Gokhale as Foreign Secretary on January 28 in 2020, an official handout said here this evening.

The appointments committee of the cabinet today approved the appointment of Shringla as the foreign secretary of India.

Shringla, a 1984 batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), is considered an expert on India’s neighbourhood and is currently serving as envoy to the United States.

In the course of a diplomatic career spanning 35 years, Shringla has held a variety of positions in New Delhi and abroad, news agency PTI reported.

He has served as High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh and Ambassador of India to Thailand. Shringla has also served in France, Vietnam, Israel and South Africa.

In the headquarters of the ministry of external affairs here, Shringla served as Joint Secretary looking after India’s ties with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and the Maldives.

He has also headed the United Nations Political and SAARC divisions in the ministry.

Earlier, he served as director of the northern division dealing with Nepal and Bhutan.

Shringla played an important role in successful hosting of the “Howdy Modi” event in Houston in September where US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi jointly addressed the Indian diaspora, the PTI report added.

Shringla is graduated from the prestigious St. Stephen’s College of Delhi University.

BSS/AIM/MMA/2306hrs