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

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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

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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