In a first of its kind, former Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar is now heading the same Ministry and took charge on Friday. An expert on China and the US, his new stint will be keenly watched to see whether he brings any change in India’s approach towards Pakistan. Incidentally, he assumed the new responsibility nearly 16 months after retiring as a career diplomat. Natwar Singh was the another Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer to head the External Affairs Ministry during the UPA regime.
Elevated to the high-profile Ministry as its Minister, Jaishankar will be busy in preparing the groundwork for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bilateral visit to Sri Lanka later in June. It will be Modi’s second foreign visit after taking the oath of office.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to travel to the Maldives next month in his first bilateral visit. In 2014, Modi’s first foreign tour after becoming Prime Minister was to Bhutan.
Sri Lankan President Maitripala Sirisena, who is in India as a chief guest for the new Government’s swearing-in, on Friday said Modi will visit his country in early June. Describing it as an “honour for people of Sri Lanka”, Sirisena said the relationship between India and his country goes back over 2,600 years. “PM Modi’s visit is very important to us, we are neighbours and friends, this relationship between India and Sri Lanka dates back over 2,600 years. We’re eagerly awaiting for his arrival, it’s a great honour for the people of Sri Lanka,” Sirisena said after meeting Modi.
Besides Sirisena, Modi met other BIMSTEC leaders like Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, exploring ways to further strengthen bilateral ties. A day after taking charge as Prime Minister for a second term, Modi also held extensive talks with Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid and PM of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth.
As regards the new External Affairs Minister, Jaishankar, considered an expert on China and the US, will be keenly observed to see whether he brings any changes in India’s approach in dealing with Pakistan.
He will also have to address overall expectations of expanding India’s global influence and stature, particularly in key multilateral forums like G-20, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS.
However, a major focus of the Ministry under his leadership is likely to be on further boosting India’s trade and defence ties with the US, Russia, France, Japan and the European Union as well as with the countries of the neighbourhood. Another challenge for him will be to further strengthen India’s ties with China, badly hit by the Doklam standoff in mid 2017.
The 64-year-old -- who is not a member of either the Rajya Sabha or the Lok Sabha at this point -- is also likely to push for deepening cooperation with the African continent where China is fast expanding its influence and presence.
Securing the long-awaited membership of the UN Security Council and Nuclear Suppliers Group is expected to be another area of interests of the new Government. India has also been trying enhance ties with the Gulf region as well as the hydrocarbon rich Central Asia, and Jaishankar is set to ensure continuity on it.
Jaishankar, son of the late K Subrahmanyam, one of India’s leading strategic analysts, was a key member of the Indian team which negotiated the landmark Indo-US nuclear deal. The deal, initiated in 2005, took several years to craft, and was signed by the UPA Government headed by Manmohan Singh in 2007.
Jaishankar’s appointment as Foreign Secretary in January 2015 evoked a sharp reaction from various quarters over the timing of the Government’s decision to remove Sujatha Singh. He had earlier served as India’s Ambassador to the US and before that to China.
A 1977-batch IFS officer, Jaishankar played a key role in resolving the crisis following the incursion in Ladakh’s Depsang and the Doklam stand-off, handling the tough negotiations with Beijing. Among other positions, Jaishankar has been India’s High Commissioner to Singapore and Ambassador to the Czech Republic.
Last year, Tata Group appointed Jaishankar, who was Indian Foreign Secretary from January 2015 to January 2018, as its president for global corporate affairs, within three months of his retirement from the Government service.
A graduate of St Stephen’s College, Jaishankar is an MA in Political Science and an MPhil and PhD in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). He is married to Kyoko Jaishankar and has two sons and a daughter. In 2019, Jaishankar was conferred with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of the country.
