Vinay Mohan Kwatra, the ambassador to Nepal, has been appointed the new foreign secretary of India, according to a government order issued on Monday. Prior to his diplomatic posting to Nepal in 2020, he served as the Ambassador of India to France from August 2017 to February 2020. He has more than 32 years of experience in the foreign service and served in a range of assignments.
The current foreign secretary, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, had assumed charge on January 29, 2020.
Kwatra, a 1988-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, has held positions in India’s diplomatic missions in Washington DC, Beijing, and has also served as joint secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office during his 32 years of service.
The appointments committee of the cabinet has approved the appointment of Kwatra to the post of foreign secretary upon the superannuation of Shringla on April 30, 2022, the order said.
{{/usCountry}}The appointments committee of the cabinet has approved the appointment of Kwatra to the post of foreign secretary upon the superannuation of Shringla on April 30, 2022, the order said.
{{/usCountry}}Kwatra also headed the policy planning and research division of the ministry of external affairs and later, served as the head of the Americas division in the foreign ministry where he dealt with India’s relations with the United States and Canada.