Vijay Keshav Gokhale

Some Lesser Known Facts About Vijay Keshav Gokhale

• Does Vijay Keshav Gokhale smoke?: Not Known

• Does Vijay Keshav Gokhale drink alcohol?: Not Known

• Gokhale is a 1981-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer.

• In January 2018, the Government of India appointed him its new Foreign Secretary.

• During the Doklam crisis, Mr. Gokhale had been widely credited with conducting delicate but tough diplomatic negotiations in Beijing. His negotiations led to a peaceful resolution of the 70-day military standoff, which ended just before Narendra Modi travelled to China for the BRICS summit in August 2017.

• His colleagues consider him as a “traditionalist” diplomat, “bound by rules” and who “works under the radar.”

• He has a long experience in dealing with East Asia (China in particular).

• Mr. Gokhale is also known for his fluency in the Chinese language.

• He has an outstanding proven track record in dealing with the neighbourhood.

• According to sources, Prime Minister Modi noticed Mr. Gokhale’s work during his tenure as Ambassador to Germany (2013-2016), when he successfully organised the PM’s visit to inaugurate the Hanover-Messe in 2015 where the “Make in India” programme was launched by the government.

• He has also served in Indian missions in Hong Kong, Hanoi, Beijing and New York.