FOREIGN MINISTER S.M. KRISHNA: A SAFE BET AT MEA

C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 001225 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS, DRL E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2017 TAGS: PGOV PTER PREL PINR KDEM IN SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER S.M. KRISHNA: A SAFE BET AT MEA REF: A. NEW DELHI 1212 ¶B. NEW DELHI 1129 ¶C. NEW DELHI 1062 Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Les Viguerie for Reasons 1.4 (B and D) ¶1. (C) Summary: Congress Party veteran S.M. Krishna assumed office as the new External Affairs Minister on May 23. Krishna, a Rajya Sabha backbencher, stands in contrast to his predecessor, Pranab Mukherjee, the ultimate Congress Party fixer and operator whose ambitions for the Prime Minister's post are well-known. With Mukherjee opting for Finance, Congress leaders appear to have chosen Krishna as a safe pair of hands, someone non-controversial and without deep ambition. Judging from Krishna's press statements over the last several weeks, and views shared by political contacts, he does not appear to have any strong or rigorously thought through views about foreign policy. This likely means India's foreign policy will be dictated predominately by PM Singh and senior staff at MEA including, Minister of State Shashi Tharoor and whomever succeeds Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon. ¶2. (C) Summary continued: Since coming to office, Krishna has reaffirmed the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's commitment to strengthening ties with the United States. Amid heightened tensions in the India-Pakistan relationship, Krishna indicated India would be open to reshaping the relationship if Pakistan took credible action to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure. He has also spoken out about regional challenges in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. End Summary. Sonia's Choice --- ¶3. (C) Of the six Cabinet appointments announced in the first tranche of government formation on May 23, Somanahalli Mallayya (S.M.) Krishna as External Affairs Minister was the only surprise. According to Embassy contacts, Krishna was the choice of Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi. They reportedly met when Krishna worked closely with Rajiv Gandhi as a lower level minister in Indira Gandhi's government during the early 1980's. Krishna is not a political heavyweight along the lines of Mukherjee, nor does he have a well-established international reputation of his own, such as the newly appointed MEA Minister of State and former UN official Shashi Tharoor (septel). Krishna is, therefore, not viewed as someone who will stir things up or will be a political threat or rival to anyone in the Congress Party leadership today or in the future. Seasoned Politician on the Brink of Retirement --- ¶4. (C) With Krishna's appointment, India gains a seasoned politician as its chief diplomat and a reassuring persona to the wider international community. Krishna is a current Rajya Sabha member and was Chief Minister of his home state, Karnataka, from 1999-2004. Bangalore had already emerged as a world class technology hub when Krishna became Chief Minister in 1999 but he helped provide a supportive and nurturing environment for continued investment. Krishna represented the state at the 2003 Economic Forum in Davos, where a slew global firms, including IBM and Microsoft, expressed interest in the blazing success of the state's technology and services industry. As Chief Minister, he traveled extensively throughout the U.S. to make connections with tech firms; and, in this capacity, many believe Krishna has gained an understanding of the growing bilateral relationship. During an introductory meeting with the Charge on June 2, Krishna mentioned the warm feelings he had developed for the U.S. during his studies at Southern Methodist University and George Washington University. As a footnote, Krishna mentioned that he had met Senator Fulbright and had been able to witness Martin Luther King preaching Montgomery, Alabama during his stay in the United States. ¶5. (C) After Krishna and the Congress Party lost power in Karnataka in the 2004 state assembly elections, he was appointed Governor of Maharashtra -- a posting that is largely seen as a ceremonial retirement job for "has-been" politicians and senior civil servants. Krishna resigned from the governor's post in March 2008 in an attempt to re-enter Karnataka politics during the state elections. However, due to intense opposition form his party rivals in the state, he played a marginal role in elections. Since then Krishna has been little heard from and has been content to remain a Rajya Sabha "backbencher." Good Neighbor Policy Continues --- ¶6. (C) In his public interactions as well as official meetings with diplomats, Krishna sticks closely to his MEA-supplied talking points. He generally reads all his public utterances from paper and, in his official meetings, refers frequently to talking points which he keeps handy by his side. During a press conference on June 4, Krishna indicated India would be willing to extend its hand of "friendship" to Islamabad if the GoP took credible action to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure. This is now the standard GOI position on resuming the dialogue with Pakistan. On Sri Lanka, Krishna reiterated the MEA's position that the GOI would work closely with the Government of Sri Lanka to provide relief to those affected by the conflict. "This is the moment when the root causes of conflict in Sri Lanka can be addressed," Krishna stressed. He reaffirmed the Singh Administration's commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the region. Krishna noted that the MEA's "primary objective" is to sustain high rates of economic growth of nine to ten percent in recent years. For that to happen, he explained, the bureaucracy requires "peace and tranquility in our extended neighborhood." India in the 21st Century: "Non-Aligned" International Player --- ¶7. (SBU) Krishna also reflected on India's foreign policy objectives within the larger international community. He underlined the challenges ahead in pursuing India's "non-aligned" interests while strengthening strategic relations with global powers. "We are at a moment in history when the world situation is rapidly changing and India, as a responsible power, must engage actively with the world," Krishna stated. Besides consolidating existing partnerships with the U.S., Russia, China, Japan and the E.U., Krishna assured that the GOI would expand relations in Africa, West Asia and Latin America. Bio Notes --- ¶8. (SBU) S.M. Krishna was born on May 1, 1932, into a wealthy business family in southern Karnataka. His father was a member of the Mysore Representative Assembly, the state's legislative body in the pre-independence era. He obtained a Bachelor's in Law from Bangalore University (1954) and a Master's in Law from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas (1959). He also attended George Washington University as a Fulbright scholar. He is an avid sports fan and enjoys playing tennis. Krishna and his wife, Prema, have two daughters. ¶9. (C) Comment: By appointing a retired Nehru-Gandhi loyalist, with no personal ambitions, India's foreign policy will be largely shaped by PM Singh and senior MEA staff. Krishna's time traveling and living in the U.S. appears to have given him a deeper understanding of American culture and better disposed towards supporting stronger bilateral ties. End Comment. BURLEIGH