E-Paper
Vinay Kwatra is new Foreign Secretary, Harsh Shringla coordinator for 2023 G-20
A 1988 batch IFS officer, Vinay Kwatra was former ambassador to France and has worked in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) of Narendra Modi as Joint Secretary while serving on key desks like Americas and Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan.
Indian Ambassador to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra takes over as the new Foreign Secretary of India while present incumbent Harsh Shringla is expected to take over as Coordinator of the G-20 summit, scheduled to take place in New Delhi in November 2023.
A 1988 batch IFS officer, Kwatra was former ambassador to France and has worked in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) of Narendra Modi as Joint Secretary while serving on key desks like Americas and Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. He has worked closely with PM Modi before he was appointed as Ambassador to France and has a good working relationship with both External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
Harsh Shringla, who completes more than two years as Foreign Secretary, demits office on April 30. During his tenure, the 1984 batch IFS officer was instrumental in India reaching out in the Indian Ocean Region with very close partnership with Bangladesh, Bhutan, and other India’s neighbors. A quiet worker, Shringla pushed the Indian foreign policy despite being seriously constricted by the spread of Covid-19 pandemic since March 2020.
Shringla will now oversee the entire preparations of G-20 summit, which will be for the first time be held in India next year, from the Chanakyapuri building of the MEA.
