World

Nirupama Rao to be US envoy: Reports

Rao, 60, is currently in Islamabad for the latest round of peace talks with her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir.

Afp June 23, 2011

NEW DELHI: Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, who has led recent peace negotiations with Pakistan, has been appointed India's next ambassador to the United States, reports said Thursday.

Rao, 60, is currently in Islamabad for the latest round of peace talks with her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir.

The foreign ministry declined to confirm the appointment, but the Press Trust of India cited official sources as saying the posting had been cleared by the government and a formal announcement was "expected soon".

Ending a freeze of over two years, India and Pakistan announced that peace talks would resume after a meeting between Rao and Bashir in February.

Rao has already served in several high-profile ambassadorial postings, including China.

Relations between Delhi and Washington, characterised by mistrust and occasional hostility during the Cold War, were reset by former US president Bill Clinton in the 1990s and invigorated by his successor George W. Bush.

President Barack Obama visited last November as part of an Asian tour that reflected the rapid growth in India's economy and a shift in power to emerging nations as a result of the global financial crisis.

COMMENTS (5)

Anuj Mehta | 13 years ago | Reply @ Alick.....Bal Thackery is nothing in India...he is just a regional politician and nobody cares about him......and Indian Army never asks for money or budget hikes...we have army under civilian control not civilians under army like in pakistan..... Not only India, whole world blames pakistan for every terror attack....as it always invariably originates from pakistan.....forgot OBL so easily...:P

Alick | 13 years ago | Reply @Afsha: please show some mercy towards army of both the countries.....they want us to hate each other so that they can have huge budgets for fake wars and protection of borders. And we need JI in Pakistan and they need Mr. Baal Thakery party for this.....we should not talk about peace. And especially from Indian side, they need to blame everything on Pakistan to get popularity and win elections.

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Hedgefunder | 13 years ago | Reply She certainly has the creentials for the position of holding office in most powerful nation on the planet. Good luck to her, and hope that she concludes the present talks from position of strength and common sense.

Afsha Saeeed | 13 years ago | Reply If India does transfer the gentle lady from India Nirupama Rao, they must surely appoint another charismatic, strong willed but consistent minded who will make sure the peace talks between the two countries does boldly go forward. It is the interest of both countries for socio-economic reasons that we together can merge our talents and move forward as each can contribute to the advancement into the new global arena.

Paras Vikmani | 13 years ago | Reply She has done a wonderful job as a foreign secretary. One woman replacing another as US Ambassador. Looks like we finally we have women holding important positions in politics though there is still a long way to go.

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