New Delhi, Jul 31 (IANS): Ranjan Mathai, India's former ambassador to France, will assume charge as India's foreign secretary in his South Block office Monday morning.

Mathai will hold office for a two-year term.

He succeeds Nirupama Rao, who has been named India's ambassador to the US.

Rakesh Sood, India's ambassador to Nepal, will succeed Mathai as New Delhi's envoy in Paris.

A 1974 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, Mathai has held a string of high-profile diplomatic positions. He was India's ambassador to Israel February 1998 to June 2001, and to Qatar August 2001 to July 2005.

A veteran diplomat, he was joint secretary dealing with India's relations with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and the Maldives from January 1995 to February 1998.

He has also served in the Indian embassies in Vienna, Colombo, Washington, Tehran and Brussels.

Mathai, who completed his post-graduate studies in political science at the University of Poona, was India's deputy high commissioner to Great Britain in London from August 2005 to January 2007.