BIOGRAPHIC NOTES: MEA ADDITIONAL SECRETARY KC SINGH

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 NEW DELHI 004432 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR INR/B E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR KNNP IN SUBJECT: BIOGRAPHIC NOTES: MEA ADDITIONAL SECRETARY KC SINGH NEW DELHI 00004432 001.4 OF 004 /////////ZFR//////////////////ZFR THIS CABLE HAS BEEN CANCELED AND WILL BE RESENT UNDER A NEW MRN //////////ZFR///////////////ZFR NEW DELHI 00004432 002.4 OF 004 ///////////////ZFR//////////////////ZFR////// // THIS CABLE HAS BEEN CANCELED AND WILL BE RESENT UNDER A NEW MRN //////////////ZRF///////////////////ZFR////// / NEW DELHI 00004432 003.4 OF 004 /////////////ZFR///////////////////ZFR/////// // THIS CABLE HAS BEEN CANCELED AND WILL BE RESENT UNDER A NEW MRN. //////////////ZFR/////////////////ZFR//////// / NEW DELHI 00004432 004.2 OF 004 ¶14. (SBU) Singh is a Punjabi Sikh, born May 30, 1948. He speaks English, Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi, and knows some Arabic. An articulate and polished speaker, Singh holds a master's degree in English literature and an LL.B. degree. His MEA curriculum vitae is as follows: 1974: Joined the Indian Foreign Service 1976-78: Second Secretary, Indian Embassy, Cairo 1978-80: Regional Passport Officer, Chandigarh 1980-83: Consul, Indian Consulate General, New York 1983-87: Deputy Secretary, Office of President of India Giani Zail Singh 1987-89: First Secretary/Counselor, Indian Embassy, Ankara 1989-92: Director (Administration),MEA 1992-96: Joint Secretary/Administration, Establishment and External Publicity (MEA Spokesperson) 1996-1998: Joint Secretary/Consular, Passport and Visa (CPV) Division 1999-2003: Ambassador to the UAE 2003-2005: Ambassador to Iran Nov 2005 - Current: Additional Secretary (International Organizations) Comment: The Right Man in the Right Job at the Right Time -------------- -------------- ¶15. (C) Singh's portfolio is one of many at MEA that can often go to a senior diplomat who is biding time between ambassadorial postings. In KC Singh, we have an interlocutor who is seized not only of counterterrorism, but also of cooperation and creative approaches, and who is keenly aware that combating terrorism effectively means bringing many actors to the table and leaning forward on both giving and accepting assistance. Had he emerged in this position ten (or even five) years ago, with US-India relations as they were, his would not have been successful in channeling his energy and drive into fruitful US-India CT cooperation. We should make an effort to involve him more in the civil nuclear cooperation, where his fresh insight and flexibility could moderate the more rigid positions of India's nuclear establishment. KC Singh is, in this venue, the right man in the right job at the right time; we can only hope his posting is not ephemeral. ¶16. (U) Visit New Delhi's Classified Website: (http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/sa/newdelhi/) MULFORD