Shiv Shankar Menon assumes charge as new National Security Advisor

New Delhi, Jan.23 (ANI): Former Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon here on Saturday took over as the new National Security Advisor replacing M K Narayanan, who has been appointed as West Bengal Governor.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh appointed former Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon as his new National Security Advisor (NSA).

Menon is the second former Foreign Secretary to have been appointed as the NSA and will hold the rank of Minister of State.

J.N.Dixit, was the first former Foreign Secretary to held the coveted National Security Advisor's post from May 2004 to January 2005.

It is worth mention that Menon, a career diplomat, played a crucial role in the signing of the Indo - US civil nuclear cooperation agreement.

Before becoming Foreign Secretary, Menon had served as High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and Pakistan and, as India's Ambassador to China and Israel.

With Union Home Minister P Chidambaram pursuing reforms in his ministry, Menon is likely to focus his attention on matters relating to strategic affairs and diplomacy.

Diplomacy runs in the veins of Menon family, which hails from Ottapalam in Kerala's Palakkad District.

K. P. S. Menon (Senior), India's first Foreign Secretary, is his grandfather and K. P. S. Menon (Junior), a former Indian ambassador to China, is his uncle. His father P.N. Menon was also a career diplomat and served as Ambassador to Yugoslavia. (ANI)