Shiv Shankar Menon to be new foreign secretary

Seasoned diplomat and India's [ Images ] High Commissioner to Pakistan Shiv Shankar Menon [ Images ] was on Thursday appointed as the new foreign secretary succeeding Shyam Saran who will be special envoy for negotiations on the Indo-US nuclear agreement.

A 1972-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, Menon will take charge of his new assignment on October one. He supersedes a number of Foreign Service officials.

Holding a Masters in History from Delhi [ Images ] University, 57 year old Menon will have three-year tenure. During his diplomatic career, he has served in China, Israel, Austria, Japan [ Images ] and Sri Lanka [ Images ]. He also had a stint in the Department of Atomic Energy as an Adviser.

Contrary to speculation that he was being given a year's extension, Saran will relinquish office on September 30 after holding the key post for about two years.

An official announcement said that Saran will be a special envoy for negotiations on the Indo-US nuclear deal. As foreign secretary he has been at the helm of affairs in the tough negotiations with US interlocutors on the civil nuclear deal.