MEA bids farewell to Saran; to take charge as N-deal special envoy

Officers and other staff of the Ministry of External Affairs on Friday bid farewell to Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, who has been made special envoy for negotiations on the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement.

A seasoned diplomat, 60-year-old Saran will move out of the MEA on Sunday, after two years as the head of the ministry during which India's relations with a host of countries improved appreciably.

In his brief farewell speech, Saran said he had enjoyed his tenure as the foreign secretary, which had been marked by
a number of significant developments.

Among the major developments have been the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, with which Saran has been closely associated with as the key interlocutor.

Considering that the agreement is yet to reach its conclusion due to the legislative process in the US, the government appointed Saran as special envoy for negotiations on the deal.

The outgoing foreign secretary also had words of praise about his successor Shiv Shankar Menon who was present.

Menon, high commissioner to Pakistan, was named as the foreign secretary on August 31. Considered a brilliant officer, the 57-year-old 1972 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, superseded 15 officers for the top post.

Holding a Masters in History from Delhi University, 57-year-old Menon will have a nearly three-year tenure.

During his diplomatic career, he has served in China, Israel, Austria, Japan and Sri Lanka. He also had a stint in the Department of Atomic Energy as an adviser.