Jaishankar tipped to be foreign policy adviser

[Indo-guy]

Jaishankar tipped to be foreign policy adviser - The Times of India


NEW DELHI: As the Narendra Modi PMO takes shape slowly, the next big appointment will be of a foreign policy adviser for the PM. This is a post being talked about after the appointment of the new NSA, Ajit Doval. S Jaishankar, India's ambassador to the US, is believed to be the top candidate being considered for the post.
What is becoming clear is that the template in the present PMO will be similar to that in UPA-1, where J N Dixit and M K Narayanan were at par. That has been an issue the new government has been working on, answering questions such as would the new foreign policy adviser be at par with the NSA; or, will he represent a parallel stream of national security advice; or will the foreign policy adviser report to the NSA.
The fact that the PMO needs an independent foreign policy adviser is fairly clear. Doval's area of expertise is security policy and he will certainly be tasked with bringing Indian intelligence and counter-terrorism capabilities up to speed. The job of foreign policy adviser will be very different. India's greatest strategic challenge today is China. India needs to work hard to restore its relations with the US and expand relations with Japan. But all of these have to be part of the larger strategic goal of the government. India has to manage its China relationship while balancing out ties with the US. Meanwhile, it also has to work towards building a set of alliances with countries which can not only help India's development but also work towards building a more balanced international security architecture.
While the policy can be implemented by the MEA, it would need direction from the PM. The foreign minister, Sushma Swaraj, is known to be very competent. But there are clear differences between her and the PM. This would also need to be bridged.
If Jaishankar is indeed picked, speculation has it that Indian ambassador to Nepal, Ranjit Rae, may replace him in Washington.

 

[shuntmaster]

I have met Jaishankar when he was the Ambassador to China in Beijing. A very astute man. Has a Japanese wife. Understands China and east Asia very well. This would be good for India's 'Look East' policy.

 

[Indo-guy]

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar ( Tamil:சுப்பிரமணியம் ஜெய்சங்கர் ) (born 9 January 1955), IFS is an Indian diplomat and currently Indian Ambassador to the United States[1] He previously served from 2009 to 2013 as India’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China,[2] from 2007 to 2009 as High Commissioner to Singapore, and from 2001 to 2004 as Ambassador to the Czech Republic. Jaishankar played a key role in negotiating the US-India civil nuclear agreement.[3]

Early life and background[edit]
Jaishankar was born in New Delhi, India. He is the son of prominent Indian strategic affairs analyst, commentator, and civil servant K. Subrahmanyam.[4] Jaishankar is also the brother of historian Sanjay Subrahmanyam and of Government of India' Rural Development Secretary, S.Vijay Kumar.[5]
He did his schooling from Air Force Central School, New Delhi and is a graduate of St. Stephen’s College at the University of Delhi, and has an M.A. in Political Science and an M.Phil. and PhD in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), where he specialised in nuclear diplomacy.[6][7]
Career[edit]
Joining the Indian Foreign Service in 1977, Jaishankar served as third secretary and second secretary in the Indian mission to the Soviet Union in Moscow from 1979 to 1981, where he studied Russian. He returned to New Delhi, where he worked as a special assistant to the diplomat G. Parthasarathi and as under secretary in the America’s division of India's Ministry of External Affairs, dealing with the United States. He was part of the team that resolved the dispute over the supply of U.S. nuclear fuel to the Tarapur Power Stations in India.[8] From 1985 to 1988 he was first secretary at the Indian embassy in Washington D.C.[9]
From 1988 to 1990, he served in Sri Lanka as a political officer and advisor to the Indian Peacekeeping Force (IPKF).[10][11] From 1990 to 1993, he was Counselor (Commercial) at the Indian mission in Budapest. Returning to New Delhi, he served as Director (East Europe) in the Ministry of External Affairs and as press secretary and speechwriter for President of India Shankar Dayal Sharma.
Jaishankar was then Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Tokyo from 1996 to 2000.[12] This period saw a downturn in Indo-Japan relations following India's Pokhran-II nuclear tests as well as a recovery after a visit to India by then Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori.[13] Jaishankar is reported to have helped introduce future Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe to his Indian counterpart, Manmohan Singh.[14] In 2000, he was appointed India’s ambassador to the Czech Republic.
From 2004 to 2007, Jaishankar was Joint Secretary (Americas) at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. In this capacity, he was involved in negotiating the US-India civil nuclear agreement and improving defence co-operation, including during relief operations following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.[15][16] Jaishankar was also involved with the conclusion of the 2005 New Defense Framework[17] and the Open Skies Agreement,[18] and he was associated with the launch of the India-US Energy Dialogue,[19] the India-US Economic Dialogue, and the India-US CEO's Forum.[20] In 2006–2007, Jaishankar led the Indian team during the negotiations on the 123 Agreement with the United States.[21] He also represented the Indian government at the Carnegie Endowment International Nonproliferation Conference in June 2007.[22]
Jaishankar was reportedly considered for the post of India’s Foreign Secretary in 2013.[23][24]
High Commissioner to Singapore[edit]
From 2007 to 2009, Jaishankar served as India’s High Commissioner to Singapore.[25] During his tenure, he helped implement the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) that expanded the Indian business presence in that country,[26] and oversaw a defence arrangement by which Singapore keeps some of its military equipment in India on a permanent basis.[27] Jaishankar also promoted the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas,[28] and IIMPact (Singapore Pan IIM Allumni |
i am the change[29] in Singapore.
Ambassador to China[edit]
Jaishankar was India's longest-serving ambassador to China, with a four-and-a-half year term.[30] As Ambassador to Beijing, Jaishankar was involved in improving economic, trade and cultural relations between China and India, and in managing the Sino-Indian border dispute.[31][32] In 2012, he became the first Indian ambassador in ten years to visit Tibet.[33]
Jaishankar’s tenure as India’s ambassador to China coincided with several major developments in relations between the two countries.[34] His 2010 briefing to the Indian Cabinet Committee on Security regarding China’s refusal to issue a visa to the head of the Indian army’s Northern Command led to a suspension of Indian defence co-operation with China, before the situation was resolved in April 2011.[35] Also in 2010, Jaishankar negotiated an end to the Chinese policy of issuing stapled visas to Indians from Jammu and Kashmir.[36] In 2012, in response to Chinese passports showing Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as parts of China, he ordered visas issued to Chinese nationals showing those territories as parts of India.[37] And in May 2013, he negotiated the end of a stand-off resulting from the encampment by China’s People’s Liberation Army on Ladakh’s Depsang Plains, threatening to cancel Premier Li Keqiang’s scheduled visit to India if Chinese forces did not withdraw[38][39] (See also 2013 Daulat Beg Oldi Incident). Jaishankar also briefed the media after the conclusion of Li's visit to New Delhi in May 2013.[40]
Jaishankar advocated deeper Indian co-operation with China as long as India’s "core interests" were respected,[41] and argued for better market access for Indian businesses operating in China on the grounds that more balanced trade was necessary for the bilateral economic relationship to be sustainable.[42][43] He was also involved in improving people-to-people contacts between India and China, promoting events that showcased Indian culture in 30 Chinese cities[44] and concluding an agreement with the Chinese government to introduce Mandarin in Indian schools.[45] In addition, he was also responsible for notable investment deals, such as the $400 million agreement for a Tebian Electric Apparatus plant in Gujarat.
Ambassador to United States[edit]
Jaishankar was appointed as India's Ambassador to United States in September 2013. He took charge on December 23, 2013 succeeding Nirupama Rao.[46][47] He arrived in the United States amid the Devyani Khobragade incident, and was involved in negotiating the Indian diplomat's departure from the United States.[48] On January 29, 2014, Jaishankar addressed the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he argued that "the grand strategy underwriting [India-U.S.] ties is fundamentally sound" but that ties suffered from a "problem of sentiment."[49][50] On March 10, 2014, he formally presented his credentials to U.S. President Barack Obama at the Oval Office.[51]

I have met Jaishankar when he was the Ambassador to China in Beijing. A very astute man. Has a Japanese wife. Understands China and east Asia very well. This would be good for India's 'Look East' policy.

I didn't know that he is son of The great " Mr Subramaniyam" . Rare instance of son carrying legacy of his father so well ...

 

[shuntmaster]

I didn't know that he is son of The great " Mr Subramaniyam" . Rare instance of son carrying legacy of his father so well ...

About K. Subramanyam

Krishnaswamy Subrahmanyam (19 January 1929 – 2 February 2011) was a prominent international strategic affairs analyst, journalist and former Indian civil servant. Considered a proponent of Realpolitik, Subrahmanyam has long been an influential voice in Indian security affairs. He was most often referred to as the doyen of India's strategic affairs community, and, more contentiously, as the premier ideological champion of India's nuclear deterrent.

Looking at Jaishankar's background, we can expect some big changes in India's foreign policy and how diplomacy is conducted. Its definitely not going to as passive and amicable as it was under UPA rule.