Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said he would be making "minor changes" in his Cabinet and a new external affairs minister will be in place "as soon as possible".
"Minor changes," he said when asked by reporters, at an iftar he hosted at his residence in New Delhi, about the much-speculated reshuffle or expansion of the Union Cabinet.
However, he preferred not to comment when asked whether the changes would be made from within the existing council of ministers or with inductions from outside. "I don't want to comment," Dr Singh said.
"You will have one soon," he said when plied with questions on how soon the country would have a foreign minister he has been talking about.
Asked whether the new external affairs minister would be inducted before the next foreign secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan early next month, the prime minister said, "Hopefully as soon as it is possible."
The prime minister indicated that the changes in the Cabinet would be taken up after the Diwali and Eid holidays.