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Raminder Singh Jassal: Top Indian Diplomat Passes Away
NEWS REPORTS
Raminder Singh Jassal, India's Ambassador to Turkey, passed away on Friday, March 11, 2011, in Ankara after a bout with cancer. He was 59.
He had been India's ambassador in Ankara since 2008.
A 1976-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, Raminder Singh's diplomatic career spanned important postings as India's Ambassador to Israel and Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
As a member of the Indian negotiating team for the landmark India-U.S. civil nuclear deal, the veteran diplomat played an important role in the transformation of the India-U.S. relations during his stint as the Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington, D.C.
Raminder Singh was India's public face as spokesperson of the external affairs ministry during India's 1999 military confrontation with Pakistan, known as the Kargil conflict.
He served as Joint Secretary and Spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry from 1999 to 2001.
March 17, 2011