Navtej Sarna is India's Ambassador to the United States
India's Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna has met US President Donald Trump, even as his counterparts from other countries also met Mr Trump at the Oval Office in White House. This was the first meeting of the top Indian diplomat with Trump after he was sworn in as the US President on January 20.
A 1980 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, Mr Sarna arrived in the US a few days before the November 8 presidential elections last year. Prior to his appointment as envoy to US, Mr Sarna was India's High Commissioner to the UK. He has also served as spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs from 2002 to 2008. Mr Sarna has also served as India's Ambassador to Israel.
Post-elections, Mr Sarna along with more than a few foreign diplomats could not meet the then US President Barack Obama during the transition.
Before leaving his office, Mr Obama had issued an executive order formally credentialing all the new ambassadors including Mr Sarna so as to facilitate them to attend the swearing in ceremony of the new president.
Yesterday, Mr Trump met all the new foreign ambassadors and had individual photos with each one of them.
Since arriving in the US, Mr Sarna has met scores of top American lawmakers, has engaged the community across the country and interacted with the think-tanks.
Yesterday, he hosted a reception for National Governors Association that was attended by Governors from 25 States.