New Delhi sources have stated that seven months into his term as India’s High Commissioner to UK, Navtej Sarna is being asked to move to Washington as the country’s next ambassador, as the US prepares for a presidential transition, where Sarna’s name was discussed and cleared at the highest level.
It was stated that before moving to London, Sarna was Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs where he oversaw the successful hosting last October of the India-Africa Forum Summit that was attended by a record number of 53 African countries and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was personally very happy with the organization of the Summit and had congratulated External Affairs Sushma Swaraj for it.
As per latest report It is clear Modi wanted someone in Washington he was confident would be able to steer the multi-faceted India-US relations into a new phase with a new administration and Sarna was among the longest-serving spokespersons of the ministry between 2002 and 2008. He has also had postings in Moscow, Warsaw, Tehran, Geneva and Thimphu.
It is also added that Sarna is also a prolific author of many fiction and non-fiction books, with the most recent being ‘Second Thoughts: On Books, Authors and the Writerly Life’ that was released last year. He was a big hit in London’s literary circles and had also become, in a short span, a popular figure in the Indian community in the UK.
