The Indian Panorama

Tag: Vinay Mohan Kwatra

  • Vinay Mohan Kwatra nominated as India’s next Ambassador to the US

    Vinay Mohan Kwatra nominated as India’s next Ambassador to the US

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): India has nominated retired diplomat Vinay Kwatra as its next ambassador to the United States. The Ministry of External Affairs has not commented on the appointment, but an announcement is anticipated soon after the necessary formalities in the US are completed. The appointment comes just months before the US elections.

    The position of India’s ambassador to the US has been vacant since Taranjit Singh Sandhu completed his tenure in January.
    Vinay Mohan Kwatra, born on December 15, 1962, is a retired Indian Foreign Service (IFS) diplomat with a career spanning nearly 32 years. He recently retired as India’s 34th Foreign Secretary, serving from May 2022 until July 14, 2024, succeeding Harsh Vardhan Shringla.
    Kwatra’s immediate priority will be to engage with officials who could influence India-related policy in the next US administration, especially as both countries brace for possible changes following the November US elections.
    Throughout his career, Kwatra has held various key positions, including serving in China, the US, the Prime Minister’s Office as Joint Secretary, and as Minister (Commerce) at the Indian Embassy in Washington D.C. from May 2010 to July 2013. His expertise in policy planning and research and his experience in the Americas Division of the Ministry of External Affairs position him well to navigate the complexities of India-US relations.
    Kwatra holds a B.Sc. in Agriculture and Animal Husbandry (Hons.) and an M.Sc., and is multilingual, speaking French, Hindi, and English. He also has a diploma in International Relations from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies.
    He is married to Pooja Kwatra, and they have two sons.

  • India’s Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra Reviews with US Officials the India-US Global Strategic partnership

    India’s Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra Reviews with US Officials the India-US Global Strategic partnership

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): India’s Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra visited Washington DC, United States from 10-12 April 2024. During his visit, Foreign Secretary Kwatra undertook a detailed review of the progress made towards further consolidating the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.

    During his visit to Washington DC, Foreign Secretary had discussions with his counterparts at the State Department Deputy Secretary Richard Verma and Deputy Secretary Kurt Campbell as well as other senior officials. He also held discussions with key counterpart officials at the National Security Council, Department of Defense, Department of Commerce and Department of Energy. These discussions spanned the entire gamut of India-US ties, growing defense and commercial ties, supply chain resilience and contemporary regional developments.

    Foreign Secretary also had meetings with representatives of leading thinktanks and chambers of commerce. The visit is in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and provides an opportunity to further advance our growing and future-oriented partnership.

  • Aussie radicals block entry to Indian consulate in Brisbane

    Aussie radicals block entry to Indian consulate in Brisbane

    NEW DELHI / NEW YORK (TIP): India’s honorary consulate in Brisbane was forced to close briefly on Wednesday, March 15 after pro-Khalistan supporters blocked its entrance. Earlier on February 21, pro-Khalistan supporters, said to be from the outlawed Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), had fixed a flag outside the same building, which was later confiscated by the police.

    The incident comes after several temples, especially in Melbourne, were daubed in recent weeks with offensive graffiti by pro-Khalistan supporters. There is a heavy police presence in the area. Following the incident, the police and community leaders had a meeting with Indian-Australian leaders to assure them that the authorities were committed to upholding law and order. Some reports alleged that a Brisbane Sikh shrine bus was used to transport the protesters.

    The blocking of the honorary consulate comes days after Australian PM Anthony Albanese had assured PM Narendra Modi in Delhi that Australia will curb anti-India elements and also not tolerate any extreme actions or attacks on religious buildings.

    “It is a matter of regret that reports of attacks on temples have come regularly from Australia over the past few weeks,” PM Modi had said shortly after talks with Albanese last Friday. Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra last Friday said, “PM Albanese assured PM Modi that his government had a deep understanding and appreciation of India’s concern and would take all necessary measures to ensure that peace prevailed in their society.” The Australia Today quoted Sarah Gates of Hindu Human Rights as stating that “slogans were raised against Hindus calling them supremacists along with slogans of Khalistan Zindabad”. The Indian diaspora is now the second-largest immigrant community in Australia.

    (Source: TNS)

     

  • India, Bangladesh to consider trade in local currencies

    NEW DELHI (TIP): India and Bangladesh will consider trading in local currencies. This was amongst the things that were discussed when Foreign Secretary, Vinay Mohan Kwatra met with Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, in Gono Bhaban, Dhaka, on February 15.
    India and Bangladesh are in the process of simplifying the terms and conditions of the Indian Line of Credit (LoC) to Bangladesh to enable Bangladesh to repay quickly.
    “You and your leadership have our total support. India will remain beside Bangladesh during its development journey, including political and economic progress,” Foreign Secretary Kwatra said when he met PM Hasina. Amongst those present in the meeting were India’s Ambassador to Dhaka, Pranay Verma and Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen.
    Meanwhile, PM Hasina has accepted Foreign Secretary Kwatra’s invitation to attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi, which will be held on the 9th and 10th of September.
    India has invited Bangladesh as a ‘guest country’ to all its meetings.
    Describing the bilateral ties between the two neighbouring countries as very firm, Kwatra said the whole world now values the Bangladesh-India relationships, which has already reached a strategic level. This relationship is being strengthened further.
    “Bangladesh is the pivot of India’s ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’ and a key partner of its ‘Act East Policy’,’’ FS Kwatra said. PM Hasina said that she hoped this friendship would deepen further and both nations would work on the socio-economic development of their people. Both sides agreed to further strengthen the ongoing bilateral cooperation in diverse areas, including trade and investment, connectivity, power and energy, defence and security and people-to-people ties. (IE)