India has appointed Naveen Srivastava as its new ambassador to Nepal.

The Ministry of External Affairs announced Srivastava’s appointment on Tuesday, a day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s daylong visit to Lumbini.

Srivastava, an additional secretary, handling the East Asia desk at the Ministry of External Affairs, is succeeding Vinay Kumar Kwatra, who completed his Nepal assignment in April after he was appointed foreign secretary.

Srivastava is known as a strong China hand and the man who was an integral part of India-China military commanders meeting to defuse the situation after border skirmishes in the Galwan valley in May last year.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Srivastava is expected to take up his new assignment in Kathmandu shortly.