Proud to follow on Sushma Swaraj's footsteps: Foreign Minister Jaishankar
Newly-appointed External Affairs Minister, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, in his first tweet after taking charge, said that he was "proud to follow on the footsteps" of senior BJP leader and his predecessor Sushma Swaraj. He took oath along with 56 other ministers and Prime Narendra Modi, who was re-elected for a second term with a huge mandate, on Thursday at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Here's more.
Honored to be given this responsibility: Jaishankar
Dr. Jaishankar is a career diplomat with vast experience in bilateral relations with the US, China, and Pakistan. "My first tweet. Thank you all for the best wishes! Honored to be given this responsibility. Proud to follow on the footsteps of @SushmaSwaraj ji," he wrote.
Here's what Jaishankar wrote in his first tweet
MEA will continue to be at your service 24x7: Jaishankar
In another tweet, Jaishankar said the team of the External Affairs Ministry will continue to be at people's service round the clock. His predecessor Swaraj, who was known for being active on Twitter and prompt response to distress calls, has left behind a legacy of being easily accessible. He also responded to congratulatory messages from leaders of the US and France among other countries.
Happy to lead the effort with MoS Muraleedharan: Jaishankar
Jaishankar is the longest-serving Foreign Secretary in four decades
Jaishankar, who served between 2015-18, was the longest-serving Foreign Secretary of India in four decades; he also helped in crafting much of PM Modi's foreign policy. He was also awarded Padma Shri in March. However, he is not yet a Member of the Parliament. As the External Affairs Minister, he's expected to improve India's relations with China which dipped after the 2017 Doklam stand-off.
Relations between India, Pakistan strained
Jaishankar's appointment comes at a time when the relations between India and Pakistan are strained and tensions heightened after the deadly terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir's Pulwama that had killed 40 CRPF personnel in February.
