New Delhi: India’s new External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Saturday began his innings on Twitter as EAM, praising the work done by his predecessor Sushma Swaraj.
“Thank you all for the best wishes! Hon-oured to be given this responsibility. Proud to follow on the footsteps of @Sushm-aSwaraj ji,” the new EAM tweeted.
He also thanked foreign ministers of several countries who had congratulated him on his appointment as EAM.
The former foreign Secretary had on Friday been appointed the EAM, succeeding Ms Sushma Swaraj who had been left out of the Cabinet of the Modi Gover-nment in its second term in office.
Mr Jaishankar is the second former Indian Foreign Servi-ce officer to become EAM, the first being K. Natwar Singh who had become EAM in 2004 in the UPA-1 Government. Mr. Jai-shankar however is definitely the first former foreign secretary to occupy the post of external affairs minister by virtue of which he will be in the Cabinet Committ-ee on Security (CCS) that is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mr. Jaishankar's appointment as external affairs minister itself is evidence of Mr Modi's faith in the former diplomat's expertise in the complex arena of external affairs.
