India on Friday announced the appointment of Manjeev Singh Puri as its new ambassador to Nepal.

Puri, presently ambassador of India to Belgium, has been appointed as the ambassador of India to Nepal, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Friday. “He is expected to take up the assignment shortly,” it added.

Puri is succeeding Ranjit Rae who completed his three-and-a-half-year term as the Indian ambassador to Nepal in February-end.