Vinay Kumar, a seasoned diplomat who earlier served as the envoy to Afghanistan, was named India’s new ambassador to Myanmar on Monday, the Hindustan Times reported.

Kumar, an Indian Foreign Service officer of the 1992 batch, is currently an additional secretary in the external affairs ministry. He is expected to take up his new assignment shortly, according to an official statement.

He will replace Saurabh Kumar as the ambassador to Myanmar. Kumar’s appointment comes at a time when India is grappling with the fallout of the February 1 military coup in Myanmar, including implications for security in the country’s northeastern states.