Israel's newly appointed ambassador to Egypt David Govrin is set to arrive in the Egyptian capital Sunday to begin his diplomatic mission, replacing the current Israeli ambassador of two years Haim Koren.

Govrin, who served in the Cairo embassy in the 1990s as first secretary, was named the new Israeli envoy to Egypt last February following Koren's request to return to Israel for "personal reasons" after only two years at the post.

According to media reports, the new 53-year-old ambassador served most recently as the head of the Jordan and Morocco desk at the Israeli foreign ministry.

Egypt's foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid told Ahram Online Tuesday that the Israeli Ambassador was appointed several months ago but was has not been working in any capacity in Cairo until now.

The reasons behind the Israeli ambassador's undertaking of operations from outside of Egypt following his appointment remain unknown.

His arrival in Cairo next week comes only days after Egypt's foreign minister Sameh Shoukry's visit to Israel on Sunday, the first by an Egyptian foreign minister since 2007.