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Chokila Iyer named foreign secretary

Iyer will have the "distinction of being the first woman foreign secretary of India", the announcement said.

Outgoing Foreign Secretary Lalit Mansingh, who is due to retire on March 31, was appointed ambassador to Washington, replacing Naresh Chandra.

Iyer joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1964. Before being sent to Dublin, she had served as ambassador to Mexico.

Iyer had been joint secretary (south) and additional secretary (emigration, passport and visas) at the MEA headquarters.

Iyer, whose superannuation is due in June 2002, comes from a tribal background.

On November 1, ambassador to the Netherlands Prabhakar Menon had been appointed envoy to Ireland, succeeding Iyer.

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