Time for another mission

The nuclear deal has finally been brokered. But it’s two years now since it was first broached and some key players in the parleys are making way for new actors.

The day the negotiators in Washington achieved the all important breakthrough for sealing the 123 agreement, Geoff Wyatt, Charge D’Affaires at the US Embassy in New Delhi, was catching a flight out of India on transfer. Starting as political counsellor, he rose to become the No 2 in the mission and participated in almost all the important talks on the deal. He was one of Washington’s main reference points on the n-deal besides being an important interface for South Block with the American establishment.

His departure is perhaps the last in the sequence that began with Shyam Saran’s exit from the Foreign Secretary’s office, S. Jaishankar’s move to Singapore and the departure of two key director-level officials in the PMO and MEA. However, these players will continue to remain associated with the nuclear deal in some way or the other. Wyatt, for instance, will still play a lead role as US representative at the IAEA. Remember, the safeguards agreement is the next in line for talks.