Indian-American Richard Verma, Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs who played a key role in US’ negotiations with Russia on the historic Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, is leaving the State Department for private sector.

The Secretary of State, Ms Hillary Clinton, hosted a farewell for Mr Verma.

“He now leaves for the private sector. He has been a tremendous friend and colleague of all of us for the past couple of years. Most recently, Rich (Richard Verma) helped the Secretary (Clinton) both in her recent testimony of the last week. Today is supposed to be his last day,” the State Department spokesman, Mr P.J. Crowley, said.

Mr Verma is a lawyer with extensive experience in national security and non-proliferation issues.

“He’s extending into overtime next week when the Secretary does one more hearing on the (Capitol) Hill. But he certainly helped shepherd the effort throughout the Executive Branch late last year that led to the ratification of the START Treaty. So we will bid a fond farewell to our friend, Rich Verma,” Mr Crowley told reporters at his daily news conference.

Mr Verma assumed the mantle of Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Legislative Affairs on April 6, 2009. In this role, he served as the primary Advisor to the Secretary of State on Congressional affairs, as well as the Department’s chief liaison to Congress.

Prior to his appointment, Mr Verma was a lawyer in private practice, but he also served as Senior National Security Advisor to the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a position he held for several years. In 2008, he was appointed to serve on the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism.

A veteran of the US Air Force, Mr Verma is a former country director for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and has worked in the House of Representatives. He also served as a member of the Obama-Biden Defence Department Transition Team.

Mr Verma holds degrees from the Georgetown University Law Center, American University’s Washington College of Law, and Lehigh University. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has served on the National Academy of Sciences Panel on Critical Infrastructure Protection and the Law.

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