Processing .....please wait.. 
The article has been forwarded.... 
Hilary Clinton Signs up Indian-American Chef to Aid Diplomatic Ties
Bangalore: Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state has selected Vikram Sunderam, an Indian-American chef to work on "the oldest diplomatic tool" of cooking, as a measure to improve the foreign relations of the country.
Sunderam has been appointed as the State Chef as part of the US State Department's Diplomatic Culinary Partnership initiative, reports the Washington Post.
"Food isn't traditionally thought of as a diplomatic tool. But I think it's the oldest diplomatic tool," said Clinton in a video played at the launch.
"Sharing a meal can help people transcend boundaries and build bridges in a way that nothing else can. Certainly some of the most meaningful conversations I've had with my counterparts all over the world have taken place over breakfasts, lunches and dinners," she said.
The chefs will have to prepare meals for visiting dignitaries and their duty also includes travelling to US embassies in other countries so as to educate foreign audiences.
"They might meet with an embassy, cook a lunch, post blogs or [write] articles, speak at events," Capricia Penavic Marshall, US Chief of Protocol was quoted as saying by the Washington Post.
The report also adds that the Diplomatic Culinary Partnership aims to "elevate the role of culinary engagement in America's formal and public diplomacy efforts".