The Hindu : Shashank, new Foreign Secretary

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 19, 2003

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Shashank, new Foreign Secretary

By Our Diplomatic Correspondent.

NEW DELHI NOV. 18 . Shashank, a 1966 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, was today appointed the new Foreign Secretary. He will succeed Kanwal Sibal, who retires on November 30.

Deciding against an extension for Mr. Sibal, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet selected Mr. Shashank as the new Foreign Secretary.

Currently, Mr. Shashank is Secretary (Europe, Africas and Americas) in the External Affairs Ministry - a job he has held since July 2002. He has also worked as Secretary (Economic Relations) in the External Affairs Ministry.

The new Foreign Secretary, who had been India's Ambassador to Denmark, South Korea and Libya, was Minister (Political) in the Indian High Commission in Islamabad from September 1982 to March 1986. He had also served in different diplomatic capacities in Cairo, New York, Hanoi and Brussels.

Talking to The Hindu soon after his appointment, Mr. Shashank said that one of his priorities would be to push India's economic diplomacy forward — a task he had been performing in the newly-formed India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Forum as well.

Mr. Shashank, who will have a tenure in office at least till July 2004, will find himself in the midst of preparatory work leading up to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Islamabad in the first week of January.

"India is happy that the unity of the developing world held firm at the Cancun meeting," he said, adding that countries like China, India, Brazil and South Africa formed the "backbone" of this unity.

"Of course, the neighbouring countries will remain a priority for us," Mr. Shashank told this correspondent.

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