NEW DELHI: Seasoned diplomat Vijay Keshav Gokhale, considered an expert on China, was today named the next Foreign Secretary succeeding S Jaishankar, who completes his extended tenure later this month.
Gokhale, a 1981-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), had played a key role in India-China negotiations last year to resolve the 73-day standoff between Indian Army and Chinese People’s Liberation Army at Doklam Plateau, a tri-junction between Sino-India and Bhutanese border near Sikkim.
58-year-old Gokhale, who is at present secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs, was India’s Ambassador to China from January 20, 2016 to October 21, 2017. (AGENCIES)