10 things about new Indian Ambassador to France

Kwatra was the joint secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office

New Delhi, May 12: Vinay Mohan Kwatra was on Thursday appointed as the new Ambassador of India to France, a Ministry of External Affairs release said.

"Vinay Mohan Kwatra (IFS:1988) has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to France. He is expected to take up his assignment shortly," the release said.

Kwatra succeeds Mohan Kumar.
Kwatra was the joint secretary in the Prime Minister's Office

Kwatra's appointment comes after Presidential elections in France, in which Emmanuel Macron was elected the President.

Vinay Kwatra in PMO office

On October 6 2015, Vinay Mohan Kwatra was appointed as Officer on Special Duty in PMO for three years. The 1988 batch Indian Foreign Service officer had worked as Joint Secretary in Americas or AMS division in MEA.

He replaced IFS officer Jawed Ashraf in the PMO.

The Appointments Committee of Cabinet had approved the appointment of Mr Kwatra as OSD in the PMO.

10 things to know about Kwatra

1. He has masters in science and also holds a diploma in international relations.
2. Kwatra speaks French and has a knowledge of Russian works and he is very fluent in Hindi.
3. According to reports, Kwatra was considered to be the private secretary on Prime minister Narendra Modi but he was later replaced by another IFS officer Sanjiv Singla.
4. As a diplomat, Kwatra's first assignment was in Geneva and later he dealt with United Nations organisations such as International Labour Organisation, World health Organisation and so on.
5. He was posted in Consulate in Durban of south Africa where he was mainly responsible for commercial and economic work. Later he was posted to Deputy China of Mission to the Embassy in China, where he worked on trade and commerce.
6. Kwatra served at the Indian Embassy in Tashkent in the economic and political wing.
7. Vinay Kwatra served as director in MEA where he dealt with India's relations with Iran and Afghanistan. He also handled India's development work in Afghanistan.
8. Kwatra worked as director and head of commerce, trade and finance issues at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.
9. In May 2010, Kwatra moved to Washington DC where he served as the head of the commerce wing in the Embassy of India.
10. After taking over as OSD in PMO, Kwatra was assigned to monitor PM's visits abroad

OneIndia News