Gokhale takes over as Foreign Secy

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 29

Vijay Keshav Gokhale took charge this morning as the new Foreign Secretary following Dr S Jaishankar’s completion of term.

Gokhale, who served as Ambassador to China before his last assignment of Secretary, Economic Relations, has been appointed as the Foreign Secretary for a fixed term of two years.

Welcoming the new MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) boss, spokesman Raveesh Kumar wrote on Twitter: “An early morning start! Shri Vijay Gokhale, an Indian Foreign Service Officer of the 1981 batch, took over as Foreign Secretary of India today morning. He was Secretary (ER) at the Ministry before taking up his present assignment.”

Jaishankar, who had replaced Sujatha Singh as Foreign Secretary under controversial circumstances in January 2015, was given a year’s extension in 2017. He was credited with a turnaround in relations with the US, including a highly successful first visit of Narendra Modi after he rode to power in 2014 following years of being treated as a pariah by DC. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Dr S Jaishankar played critical role in shaping up the Modi government’s foreign and security policy.

A student of history, Gokhale was High Commissioner to Malaysia from January 2010 to October 2013, Ambassador of India to Germany from October 2013 to January 2016, and Ambassador of India to the People’s Republic of China from January 2016 to October 2017. He also served as Deputy Secretary (Finance), Director (China & East Asia) and Joint Secretary (East Asia) during his stints at the Headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs. His various diplomatic assignments include postings in Hong Kong, Hanoi, Beijing and New York.