THE PM PICKS A WINNER: SHIV SHANKAR MENON TO BE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 006133 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR INR/B E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2026 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR PBTS MOPS KDEM KISL PK IN SUBJECT: THE PM PICKS A WINNER: SHIV SHANKAR MENON TO BE FOREIGN SECRETARY NEW DELHI 00006133 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Ambassador David C. Mulford for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The August 31 announcement that seasoned diplomat Shiv Shankar Menon will succeed Shyam Saran as Foreign Secretary with Saran moving to a newly-created post as the PM's Special Envoy for the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Deal represents not only a domestic coup for PM Singh, but also bodes well for 123 negotiations, the NSG, and IAEA talks with Saran in the lead, since it will strengthen the PMO role in our dialogue. Speculation is rampant that PM Singh may fill the long-vacant Foreign Minister portfolio with Karan Singh, the current Foreign Affairs Department Chairman for Sonia Gandhi's Congress Party, because he is a potential candidate to balance domestic imperatives with foreign policy aspirations. END SUMMARY. A Smart Move by India -------------- ¶2. (C) COMMENT: Shyam Saran's move to the Prime Minister's Office as Special Envoy for the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Deal suggests a GOI desire to raise the 123, NSG, and IAEA discussions from the level of technical experts to the political level in an effort to break through bureaucratic barriers and move quickly to conclude the nuclear agreement. It also helps fill a vacuum at the PMO, where there has been no senior diplomat to provide strategic perspective offered formerly by NSA Dixit. Elevating Menon over numerous competitors and keeping Saran are generally viewed as a coup for PM Singh, as he has overcome bureaucratic norms to place two superb diplomats in positions of policy control. In addition, with Saran dominating the nuclear portfolio, Menon will be freed to devote more time and energy to pressing regional issues, to include relations with China and Pakistan. Our PMO contacts tell us that Saran is likely to sit in Manmohan Singh's office suite, reinforcing the PM's control over the nuclear issue. The chairmanship of the "Apex Committee" that provides guidance on nuclear policy will remain with NSA Narayanan, according to PMO staff, but Saran will play a key role. At the same time, rumors are swirling that Singh may elect to fill the vacant Foreign Minister position to use in his political balancing act, or to make a largely ceremonial concession to the Congress Party in an effort to quell resistance in some ranks to UPA foreign policy initiatives. One name figuring prominently is former Ambassador to Washington, D.C. Karan Singh, a key aide to Sonia Gandhi. However, his frailty and age-related ailments may preclude him due to the heavy demands of the FM portfolio." END COMMENT A Record of Achievement with Tough Neighbors -------------- ¶3. (U) Menon is a seasoned diplomat with a track record of critical postings and policy successes. His achievements include taking the helm as High Commissioner in Islamabad when Indo/Pak relations were at their nadir and helping resume the stalled peace process in 2004, issuing a record number of visas, and organizing unprecedented people-to-people contacts from 2003-05. Menon's tenure as Ambassador to China saw the first serious efforts to resolve NEW DELHI 00006133 002.2 OF 002 decades-long border disputes and culminated with then Prime Minister Vajpayee's Beijing visit in 2003. His tenure in Sri Lanka was highlighted by passage of the Indian/Sri Lankan free trade agreement, while Indian/Israeli bilateral relations under his leadership. A Professional Diplomat's Diplomat -------------- ¶4. (U) The Indian media, local contacts, and colleagues from posts where Menon has served laud his pragmatic, no-nonsense approach to foreign policy. The British High Commission in Islamabad has the highest praise for Menon, citing his tireless work ethic in a tough environment, his savviness and his ability to parlay his China experience into an effective tool when dealing with the Pakistanis. He is known in the media and diplomatic circles as being tough but fair-minded in his dealings with Pakistan, and our contacts and the local media say that he will want to keep Indo/Pak engagement moving forward despite the recent setback of the Mumbai bombings. The fact that he superceded a dozen or more officers to gain the coveted Foreign Secretary portfolio is a testament to his bureaucratic expertise. Menon's Career Track -------------- ¶5. (U) Born in Paris on July, 5, 1949, Menon obtained his master's degree in history from Delhi University and joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1972. His previous posts include: -Second Secretary in Beijing from 1974-77; -Deputy Secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi from 1977-79; -First Secretary at the Permanent Mission in Vienna from 1979-83; -Advisor for the Department of Atomic Energy from 1983-86; -First Secretary at the Indian Embassy in Beijing from 1986-89; -Minister Counselor in Tokyo from 1989-92; -Ambassador to Israel from 1995-1997; -High Commissioner to Sri Lanka from 1997-2000; -Ambassador to China from 2000-03; -Serving as the High Commissioner in Islamabad from 2003-Present. Miscellaneous Background -------------- ¶6. (U) Menon is married to Mohini Menon, and the couple has one son and one daughter. He speaks English, Hindi, and Malayali, and has a working knowledge of several other languages, with Chinese and German being his strongest. Menon's personal passions include classical music and mountaineering. His Kerala background will strengthen the GOI's network of senior bureaucrats from that state, including NSA Narayanan and Principal Secretary TKA Nair. MULFORD