New Delhi, May 1 : Senior diplomat Vinay Kwatra on Sunday took charge as India's new Foreign Secretary. A 1988-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, he succeeded Harsh Vardhan Shringla who retired from service on Saturday. Before assuming the office of the Foreign Secretary, Kwatra had served as India's Ambassador to Nepal. "Shri Vinay Kwatra assumed charge as Foreign Secretary today morning. #TeamMEA wishes Foreign Secretary Kwatra a productive and successful tenure ahead," MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted on Sunday. As a seasoned diplomat Kwatra is known to be having extensive expertise in dealing with India's neighbourhood as well as the US, China and Europe. His stint as Foreign Secretary comes at a time when New Delhi is dealing with various geopolitical developments, including the Ukraine conflict, a severe economic crisis in Sri Lanka and the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. /IANS