Indian government on Saturday officially announced the appointment of Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao as the next Ambassador to the United States. Rao, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the United States of America and she is expected to take up her assignment shortly, official spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs told the Press Trust of India (PTI) on Saturday. Her appointment to succeed Meera Shankar as the US Ambassador was cleared by the government last month. The 1973-batch IFS officer assumed the office of the Foreign Secretary on August 1, 2009, becoming the second woman to head the Indian Foreign Secretary after Chokila Iyer. She was to retire in December last year at the age of 60 but was given an extension till July-end when the government fixed a two-year term for the post of Foreign Secretary. Rao has served in various key positions and had been India\'s envoy to various countries, including China and Sri Lanka. She has also been the only women spokesperson in the MEA. She had earlier served in Washington as a junior diplomat.