Indias Amabassador-designate to the US,Meera Shankar,the first serving IFS officer in decades to have bagged the coveted post,is already being sought after. Even as her appointment caused some heartburns in the Indian diplomatic community,the US Embassy in Delhi is said to have invited her over to their premises last week. Given that not many had met her earlier,the meeting did prove useful in breaking some ice. She got a brief on the functioning of the new Administration in Washington,its priorities and key individuals concerned with India and the region across the US system. In the past,Shankar has led counter-terrorism dialogues with several countries including the US. Meanwhile,key US Congressman Howard Berman,who has authored one version of the Bill granting aid to Pakistan and made ceasing terrorism against India a condition in it,received a warm welcome in Delhi last week. Despite the busy election schedule,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met him. Berman praised the PM for his gesture,saying US politicians would not have taken out time for a visitor in the middle of an election campaign.
