A senior diplomat will become Australia's next ambassador to East Timor at a time of strained relations between the neighbours.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop announced on Wednesday that Peter Doyle, a career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, will assume the post in Dili later this month.
His tenure comes as East Timor pursues Australia in the International Court of Justice over spying allegations linked to a $40 billion oil and gas treaty.
East Timor has accused Australia's overseas spy agency ASIS of bugging its cabinet during the treaty negotiations from 2004, giving Australia an unfair advantage in the talks.
It's particularly unhappy with a treaty giving both nations an equal split of upstream revenue from a gas field in the Timor Sea, despite East Timor enjoying a more generous share in neighbouring areas.
Mr Doyle's most recent postings were as ambassador to Turkey and deputy head of mission in Malaysia.
The current ambassador, Miles Armitage, will finish up this month.
