Nalin Surie is new MEA secretary (west)

NEW DELHI: Senior Indian Foreign Service officer Nalin Surie on Monday assumed charge as secretary  (west) in the Ministry of External Affairs, succeeding Shashi Tripathi who quit in protest against the appointment of a junior officer as foreign secretary.

 

Surie, a 1973 batch officer, was India's ambassador to China. His tenure has seen a significant improvement in relations between the two countries.
    
Nirupama Rao, India's envoy to Sri Lanka, has succeeded Surie in Beijing.

 

Tripathi was among four secretary-rank officers to seek voluntary retirement after 1972 batch Shivshankar Menon was appointed foreign secretary on August 31. The others were Rajiv Sikri, secretary (east), TCA Rangachari, ambassador to France, and Veena Sikri, high commissioner to Bangladesh.
    
Menon, who was India's high commissioner to Pakistan, assumed new charge as head of foreign service on October 1.

 

The government also named Lal Thla Muana, consul general of India in Ho Chi Minh City, as the next ambassador to Vietnam. He succeeds N Ravi, who has been posted as secretary (east) in the MEA.