The US defence attache in India has been made in-charge of India, Pakistan and Central Asian Affairs at the National Security Council of the White House.
In a routine administration postings, the Pentagon yesterday said Brigadier General Robin Fontes has been posted as senior director for India, Pakistan and Central Asian Affairs at the National Security Council in the White House.
Fontes would be in charge of White House policy on India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other South Asian countries and Central Asia.
She would be replacing Peter Lavoy, who was Director (South Asia) in the previous Obama administration.
From the Defence Intelligence Agency, Fonte was the first female attache assigned to India and the first general officer to serve as an attache in India since the 1960s.
"(India) is a very important country to (the United States) in the Pacific region. Developing good relations with India is key to meeting our national security objectives," Fontes had said in December 2014 before taking up her Indian assignment.
By appointing Fonts, the Trump Administration has also indicated that it would align its National Security Council with that of the South and Central Asia division of the State Department and there would be no separate wing for Afghanistan as was the case during most part of the Obama administration.
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