Career diplomat Pasquale D'Avino on Thursday took up his post as Italy's new ambassador to Kazakhstan, the foreign ministry announced, calling the central Asian republic "a strategic country".
"Today Pasquale D'Avino started work as Italy's ambassador in Kazakhstan, a strategic country in central Asia," the foreign ministry tweeted.
"We wish him well!" the tweet added.
Before becoming Italy's envoy to Kazakhstan, D'Avino was the foreign ministry's director-general for political affairs and security and from 2014-2017 its director-general for the European Union.
D'Avino previously served as Italy's ambassador to the Czech Republic and was earlier posted to Saudi Arabia, the US and Ethiopia.
