New Delhi: Saurabh Kumar, Secretary in the Ministry has been appointed as India's next ambassador to Belgium, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced in a press release.

He will also be accredited as India's ambassador to the European Union.

Saurabh Kumar is expected to take up the assignment shortly, according to MEA. In the press release, MEA said, "Shri Saurabh Kumar (IFS:1989), presently Secretary in the Ministry, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Belgium. He will also be accredited as Ambassador of India to the European Union."

Belgium was among the first European nations to establish diplomatic relations with

India after its independence in 1947. The bilateral relations between India and Belgium are based on shared commonalities and commitment to the rule of law, federalism and pluralism.

Meanwhile, the relations between India and the European Union date back to the early 1960s, with India being amongst the first nations to establish diplomatic relations with the European Economic Community, according to MEA.

A cooperation agreement signed in 1994 took the bilateral relationship beyond trade and economic cooperation. The ties between the two sides were upgraded to a 'Strategic Partnership' during the 5th India-EU Summit at The Hague in 2004.