India is all set to appoint its key interlocutor on China, Gautam Bambawale as the new Indian Ambassador to Bhutan. A country, which is India’s closest neighbour and one of the few genuine friends India, has in the region.
Bambawale’s appointment also assumes significance as the head of the China desk in the Foreign Office has batted for a firmer response to China. Thimpu has successfully thwarted attempts by China to open a diplomatic mission in Bhutan. Bhutan is a strategic buffer between India and China and the country has checked Chinese attempts to increase influence in the country. Bambawale who will take over in July has been tasked to ensure that he continues to shape the Bhutan relationship but is also able to factor in the Chinese attempts to increase influence in Thimpu.
The choice is critical as Bambawale had a tough stand when it came to dealing with China and on occasions he advised the top bosses in the foreign office and the Prime Minister’s office to be firm on China. Bambawale has also worked previously in the Prime Minister’s office
These appointments were cleared following discussions between Foreign Secretary Sujata Singh and the National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon and suitability to manage the challenges in these stations was a key criterion that guided their choice.
Amongst the other top officials slotted for key assignments as Indian Envoys abroad, Ruchi Ghanshyam who is currently Additional Secretary, Western Europe in the MEA headquarters will be the new Indian High Commissioner to South Africa. Â Ghanshyam who has earlier worked in Africa as the Envoy to Ghana will go to South Africa at a critical time when the new Indian government will take over in New Delhi and there will be a requirement to push the Africa relationship in an important partner in Africa.
Yet another important post will be the Former key aide to Prime Minister A B Vajpayee and now the head of MEA’s East Europe division Ajay Bisaria will be the new Indian Ambassador to Poland. Bisaria was key in raising the profile of India’s relationship with Russia, which was undergoing some testing times.
Another key appointment will be of Vikram Doraiswamy the head of MEA’s Americas desk as the new Indian Ambassador to Uzbekistan. Doraiswamy handled the crisis in the Indo-US relations in challenging circumstances during the Devyani Khobragade standoff and has previously served as a private secretary to the Prime Minister and a former consul general of India in Johannesburg.
Amongst other changes expected is that Rahul Kulshrestha will go as the new Indian Envoy to Turkey, while Geetesh Sharma is expected to go to Fiji while Ashok Sharma is expected to go to Finland as the new Indian Ambassador.