Arun Singh appointed India's ambassador to US

NEW DELHI: Arun Singh has been appointed as India's ambassador to the US succeeding S Jaishankar, who was named the Foreign Secretary in January, the External Affairs Ministry announced today.

Currently India's Ambassador to France, the 1979-batch IFS officer is expected to take up his assignment shortly, the Ministry said.

However, it is believed that Singh will take up his new posting after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposed visit to France next month. Modi is likely to travel to Canada in April on a bilateral visit and is expected to make a stop-over in Germany while going and in Paris on his return.

Singh, who has been joint secretary in-charge of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan devision in MEA, has done postings in Japan and Israel among other countries.

He has also served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington for nearly five years and is seen as an expert on Indo-US strategic ties.