A senior North Korean diplomat who has helped manage ties with Moscow will serve as Pyongyang’s new ambassador to Belarus, replacing the DPRK’s first envoy to Minsk amid a push to strengthen ties.

Ji Kyong Su presented his credentials to Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov on Tuesday, according to a short news release from the foreign ministry.

The readout didn’t specify when Ji arrived in Belarus and when he is expected to start the role.