New Delhi: The new Foreign Secretary, Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Wednesday, after assuming charge, said that his priorities will include seeking an unambiguous approach to terrorism and the threat it poses to free societies. A 1984 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Shringla replaced Vijay Gokhale, who retired on Tuesday. In his last posting, Shringla was India’s Ambassador to the US.
A fluent French speaker, he came into prominence when he eloquently rebutted Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s opinion piece against India in the New York Times following the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir state.
In his statement to the press on Wednesday, Shringla said that he looked forward to working with “India’s many partners in the international system - in enhancing developmental and economic linkages, as well as connectivities, with our neighbours; building synergies with major powers; seeking a shared, undifferentiated and unambiguous approach to terrorism and the threat it poses to free societies; and sustaining the gains of a rules-based multilateral order”.
Sharing the Indian developmental experience with countries of the global south, especially with our friends in Africa and Latin America, will continue to be a priority, he said.
The primary objective of the Ministry of External Affairs and the IFS, he said is to advance our national interests across the world and serve the people of India at home and abroad. Their mission, Shringla said is to enhance the security and prosperity of India through external ties and the well-being of all Indians.
He mentioned global warming as a major concern and pointed out that several other recent opportunities and challenges related to the cyber domain and emerging technologies will also receive his attention. “Under the overall guidance of the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister, I will strive to provide the basis for dynamic and responsive diplomacy, one that is alive to the requirements of a new India,” he added. (IANS)