Dr S Jaishankar, a career diplomat with extensive experience in bilateral relations with China, US and Pakistan, said he was “honoured to be given this responsibility”.
Dr Jaishankar joined PM Modi’s cabinet on Thursday. (File)
NEW DELHI:
The country’s new Foreign Minister, Dr S Jaishankar, in his first tweet this morning, after he took charge of Ministry of External Affairs on Friday, said he was “proud to follow on the footsteps” of his predecessor and senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj.
Dr Jaishankar, a career diplomat with extensive experience in bilateral relations with China, US and Pakistan, said he was “honoured to be given this responsibility”.
“My first tweet. Thank you all for the best wishes! Honoured to be given this responsibility. Proud to follow on the footsteps of @SushmaSwaraj ji,” he wrote.
He was one of the 57 ministers who took oath on Thursday at a glittering ceremony with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, elected for a second term with a huge mandate.
In another tweet, Dr Jaishankar wrote: “We at Team @MEAIndia continue to be at your service 24×7”.
Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, Dr Jaishankar’s predecessor, was known for her prompt response to distress calls on Twitter. She leaves a legacy of being an easily-accessible foreign minister.
Soon after his Twitter debut, Dr Jaishankar also replied to the congratulatory messages from United States, France, among other countries.
Dr Jaishankar, who had received the Padma Shri award from President Ram Nath Kovind in March, was the country’s longest-serving foreign secretary in four decades between 2015 and 2018 and helped craft much of PM Modi’s foreign policy.
As the new foreign minister, S Jaishankar will be expected to bring to bear experience from his time as the Indian ambassador to China between 2009 and 2013 and help improve relations with Beijing, which were badly hit following the Doklam stand-off in 2017.
His appointment also comes at a time when India’s relations with Pakistan are at a sensitive point following the tragic terror attack in Pulwama in February that killed 40 soldiers.
Dr Jaishankar is not a member of parliament yet.
