Indian envoy to USA Navtej Sarna's term extended by a year

The term of India's Ambassador to the United States Navtej Sarna which was ending this month is understood to have been extended by a year.

Sarna, a 1980 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, was scheduled to retire at the end of the month after a successful tenure which witnessed travel by PM Narendra Modi to White House this June to meet President Donald Trump within six months of his presidency.

Sarna was named India's envoy in Washington in September 2016 after serving as Indian High Commissioner to Britain for eight months.

Sarna had earlier served as Ambassador to Israel and had also served in Washington between 1998 and 2002. Prior to London, Sarna was Secretary (West) MEA where he was in charge of the mega India-Africa Forum Summit in Delhi.

Sarna is so far the longest-serving MEA spokespersons between 2002 and 2008. A widely acclaimed author Sarna has also served in Indian Missions in Moscow, Warsaw, Tehran, Geneva and Thimphu.