He seemed to be a reluctant foreign minister in the first few months after assuming charge, but S.M. Krishna is slowly getting into the groove, senior officials in the Ministry of External Affairs affirm.
Since the time when he had to perform on cue and avoid reporters’ questions, he seems a little more self-assured and should come into his own by yearend if not earlier, say those who interact with him closely.
Krishna, say aides, never pretended that he understood the finer nuances of international diplomacy and is a keen learner, absorbing more, speaking less and asking endless questions in a business where every word or phrase is loaded with meaning and where inappropriate usage, either in speech or text, can lead to a diplomatic faux pas and political embarrassment.
The US-educated Krishna doesn’t shy away so much from reporters now and is bringing to his job the immense weight of his experience as a state chief minister, governor and a man otherwise known to be worldly-wise.
rounak