New envoys to Turkey, Switzerland appointed

New Delhi, June 12 : Raminder Singh Jassal, India's Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington, has been appointed India's Ambassador to Turkey.

Earlier, from 2001-2004 Jassal served as India's Ambassador to Israel and had joined as Deputy Chief of Mission Embassy of India, Washington on January 17, 2005.

Jassal, a 1976 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, would succeed Chitra Narayanan, the daughter of former President late K R Narayanan.

Chitra Narayanan, who is presently the Ambassador to Turkey, has been appointed as India's envoy in Switzerland.

Jassal had served as Joint Secretary in the External Publicity Division of the Ministry of External Affairs from 1999 to 2001.

During that phase, Jassal had the task of communicating India's position to the world at the height of the Kargil war.

As India's official spokesman, Jassal also handled media arrangements for the foreign visits of the Prime Minister and all incoming state and official visits including that of President Bill Clinton in March 2000. He was also a member of the Indian negotiating team for the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.

ANI