Centre hunts for next envoy to US

The government is now looking for the next envoy to the United States after elevating S Jaishankar to the foreign secretary post.

Jaishankar, who took charge of his new assignment in South Block on Thursday, was till then India’s ambassador to Washington.

Arun K Singh, India’s ambassador to France, is understood to be a front-runner among the senior serving diplomats eying the plum job.

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi keen to maintain the momentum in India-US ties, the government is likely to appoint Jaishankar’s successor  soon.

Sources told Deccan Herald that Singh might be shifted from Paris to Washington.

The IFS officer of 1979 batch had earlier served as Deputy Chief of the Mission at Embassy of India in Washington from October 2008 to April 2013, before he was appointed New Delhi’s envoy to Paris.

He was Ambassador of India to Israel from April 2005 to September 2008.

Sources said that Singh’s batch-mate Anil Wadhwa, now Secretary (East) at the headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs, might also be considered.