NEW DELHI, Sept 29: India’s first national security adviser Brajesh Mishra, who played an instrumental role in shaping his country’s foreign policy, has died, officials said on Saturday.

Mr Mishra, who died late on Friday, served as national security adviser and principal secretary to former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during his government from 1998 to 2004, acting as troubleshooter.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh paid tribute to Mr Mishra, calling him “one of the most able and influential public servants of his generation” who brought “a sense of India’s destiny and place in global affairs”.

The death of Mr Mishra came a day before his 84th birthday.

Officials gave no cause of death but Indian media reports said Mr Mishra had been suffering from a heart ailment.

Mr Mishra, a career diplomat, sought to fashion a broad vision of India’s foreign policy under Mr Vajpayee, who was prime minister of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, now sitting in opposition.

He was closely involved in the planning for India’s 1998 nuclear tests that effectively made India a nuclear-weapons power, pushed for stronger relations with the United States and sought warmer ties with Pakistan and China.—AFP