Senior diplomat Harsh Vardhan Shringla took charge as the Foreign Secretary on Wednesday.
In a brief statement, he praised his predecessors and expressed his commitment to India’s many international partners to advance economic and developmental ties.
“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. I look forward to opening new missions and the inauguration of new initiatives,” he said, highlighting India's plans to further deepen diplomatic ties with the developing world.
The Indian Foreign Service aimed to work for the people of India, whether at home and abroad. “Enhancing the security and prosperity of India through external ties and the well-being of all Indians, wherever they may be is our mission statement,” said Mr. Shringla, who served as the Indian envoy to the United States in his last assignment.
Mr. Shringla had worked as the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh and was responsible for the ground work for the India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement 2015, one of the major international agreements that India concluded in the neighbourhood.
Mr. Shringla, who joined the diplomatic service 36-years ago, recounted that his career began during the Cold War and his concerns as the Foreign Secretary would include global warming. “Several other recent opportunities and challenges related to the cyber domain and emerging technologies will also receive our attention”, he said.
