Front Page   

Shivshankar Menon new envoy to Pak.

By Amit Baruah

NEW DELHI May 13. Shivshankar Menon (53) has been "appointed" India's High Commissioner to Pakistan in succession to Vijay K.Nambiar, the External Affairs Ministry said today.

Six days after India sought approval for Mr. Menon's candidature, the official announcement was made.

Considered to be one of India's most accomplished diplomats and currently Ambassador to China, Mr. Menon is expected to take up his assignment shortly. India had recalled its High Commissioner from Pakistan in December 2001 and sent back its High Commissioner in July 2002.

However, official sources said that Islamabad had not conveyed any name to India as a possible candidate for the post of its High Commissioner.

There is some surprise at the "delay" considering the fact that Islamabad has been repeatedly calling for the normalisation of relations with India, including a dialogue, anywhere and at any level. Progress on the civil aviation front has been slower than naming a new High Commissioner. While, in principle, Pakistan has agreed to the resumption of direct air links, India has pointed to Islamabad's "silence" on the issue of "over-flights". Pakistan, however, has taken the view that the entire gamut of civil aviation issues could be taken up when the officials concerned meet. They pointed out that aviation officials could get together to resolve these "technical issues".

Official sources said today that the formal announcement of Mr. Menon's choice showed that India was serious about the Vajpayee initiative to mend fences with Pakistan. India, however, has not been "positive" on the restoration of road and rail links as proposed by the Pakistani Prime Minister.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Centre, States differ on deployment of Army
• 29 killed in Riyadh blasts
• Terrorism must end for talks: PM
• Shivshankar Menon new envoy to Pak.
• Partial rollback of phone tariffs
• Pak. to free prisoners
• Cyclone threat to A.P., Orissa
• Left set to sweep polls
• New IA fares
• Historic win for West Indies

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu