New Delhi : Senior diplomat Vinay Mohan Kwatra took over as the new Foreign Secretary of India

New Delhi . Senior diplomat Vinay Kwatra took over as the new Foreign Secretary of India on Sunday. The 1988-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer has replaced Harsh Vardhan Shringla, who retired from the post on Saturday.

Prior to assuming the position of Foreign Secretary, Kwatra was India’s Ambassador to Nepal. “Vinay Kwatra took over as Foreign Secretary this morning. MEA wishes Foreign Secretary Kwatra a productive and successful tenure ahead of him,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted on Sunday.

As a seasoned diplomat, Kwatra has expertise in dealing with India’s neighbourhood, as well as the US, China and Europe.His tenure as foreign secretary comes at a time when New Delhi is dealing with various geopolitical developments including the Ukraine conflict, a serious economic crisis in Sri Lanka and the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.