Jaishankar Compliments Outgoing Foreign Secretary Kwatra For His Contributions

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday heaped praise on outgoing Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra for his contributions in the field of foreign policy and national security.

Vikram Misri, presently serving as the deputy national security advisor, will take charge as the new foreign secretary on Monday.

Kwatra assumed charge as foreign secretary on May 1, 2022.

“Thank outgoing Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra for his dedication and many contributions in the field of foreign policy and national security,” Jaishankar said on ’X’.

“Particularly in the last decade, he has helped strategize and execute so many of our key policies. Wish him well in his future endeavors,” he said.

As foreign secretary, Kwatra had to deal with several crucial geo-political issues including the situation arising out of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas hostilities in Gaza and China’s continuing posturing along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

It is learnt that he is among the front-runners in the race to become India’s next ambassador to the US. The post has been lying vacant since Taranjit Sandhu retired in January.

Kwatra joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1988 and served in India’s Permanent Mission in Geneva in the initial years of his service.

Between 1993 and 2003, he served as a desk officer at the external affairs ministry’s headquarters in Delhi dealing with the United Nations, and subsequently in the diplomatic missions in South Africa and Uzbekistan.

Between 2003 and 2006, he served as the counsellor and later as the deputy chief of mission at the Indian embassy in Beijing.

From 2006 to 2010, he represented India at the SAARC Secretariat in Nepal as head of the trade, economy and finance bureau.

From May 2010 till July 2013, he served as minister (commerce) in the Indian embassy in Washington.

Between July 2013 and October 2015, Kwatra headed the policy planning and research division in the ministry and later served as the head of Americas division.

From October 2015 till August 2017, he served as the joint secretary in the office of the prime minister.

From August 2017 till February 2020, he served as the ambassador to France and from March 2020 till April 2022, he served as the ambassador to Nepal.