Sergio Gor confirmed as US envoy to India

The confirmation took place after a lengthy political battle, which saw Donald Trump’s Republican Party push through 107 diplomatic nominees in a single bloc confirmation. The Senate voted to confirm the nominees by a 51-47 vote, with the Democratic Party voting against the measure.

Gor, a 39-year old political operative, is understood to be a close ally of President Trump. He served as the director of the influential White House Presidential Personnel Office, which selects hundreds of appointees to crucial positions within the U.S. government. Kapur, who will take over as the State Department’s top official on South and Central Asia, was a professor at the US Naval Postgraduate School before this assignment. Kapur has written several books on India, Pakistan, terrorism and conflict.

“I expect that Delhi will be relieved that the appointments have been confirmed, and are hopeful that there will be more clarity coming out of the White House both about who is leading on US-India as well as what the priorities are. Clarity will be important for the relationship, as the next 12 months will put the relationship under substantial stress testing,” says Nick Shafer, an independent scholar covering South Asia and the US-India relationship.