IANS/New Delhi
Ending weeks of speculation, the government yesterday appointed Ranjan Mathai, India’s ambassador to France, as the next foreign secretary. He will succeed Nirupama Rao.
Mathai, a former ambassador to Qatar, will hold office for a two-year term and will take over on August 1, external affairs ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash told reporters here.
Rao will succeed Meera Shankar as India’s next ambassador to the US, sources said.
The cabinet committee on appointments met yesterday to finalise Mathai’s name for foreign secretary.
A 1974 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, Mathai has held diplomatic positions, including serving as India’s ambassador to Israel (February 1998-June 2001) and Qatar (August 2001 to July 2005).
A veteran diplomat, Mathai was joint secretary dealing with India’s relations with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Maldives from January 1995 to February 1998.
He has also served in the Indian embassies in Vienna, Colombo, Washington, Tehran and Brussels.
Hardeep Singh Puri, India’s permanent representative to the UN, and Sharat Sabharwal, India’s high commissioner to Pakistan, were also seen to be claimants for the post of foreign secretary.
Mathai, who completed his postgraduate studies in political science at the University of Poona, held the post of deputy high commissioner of India to the UK from August 2005 to January 2007.