New Names of EU Ambassadors and Emisaries in the Western Balkans

What was long ago understood by Rel's diplomatic sources, regarding the great rotation of European Union ambassadors around the world, is now known publicly.

EU Foreign Action Service Secretary-General Stefano Sanino has sent the list to member states with the names of the ambassadors and special envoys who have appointed the European bloc's top diplomat, Josep Borrell.

Free Europe Radio has provided this list, and it is seen that a significant change has been made in the positions dealing with the countries of the Western Balkan region.

This list is expected to be made public soon even from the EU Foreign Action Service.

Within the rotation of EU diplomatic posts, current facilitator of dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia Miroslav Lajcak has been named by Borrell as European Union ambassador to Switzerland.

There is no name on this list of Lajcak's descendants in the role of the EU special envoy for dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.

For this, the EU Foreign Action Service, in co-operation with member states, is expected to decide later, possibly during the summer.

The mandate will end and the chief of the EU Office in Kosovo, which is also EU Special Representative for Kosovo Thomas Sonjong.

Instead, the EU Office in Pristina will lead Estonia's current EU ambassador, Aivo Ora.

The future chief of the EU Office in Kosovo has experience in the Balkan region, since earlier he served as chief of the EU delegation in northern Macedonia and as chief of the EU delegation to Montenegro.

Under this rotation, the Italian diplomat, Louis Sorca, has been appointed chief of the EU delegation to Sarajevo, which in addition to Kosovo, is also a higher position than that of ambassadors in other countries of the region, as it has the status of EU Special Representative.

During his diplomatic career, Sorica has been the European Union's ambassador to Albania.

EU Ambassador to Sarajevo Johann Sattler will remain in the region after Borrell has named him EU Ambassador to Montenegro.

The European Union's ambassador to Northern Macedonia will be Greek diplomat Rokas Michalis.

So far he has been the European Union ambassador to Mexico.

Of the officials who have had positions related to the Western Balkans is also what has so far been done by Angelina Eichhorst.

She is Europe's managing director at the EU Foreign Action Service.

Earlier she has been deputy manager and her office has been engaged in dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia before Lajcak was appointed as special envoy for dialogue.

Angelina Eichhorst has been appointed European Union ambassador to Egypt.

Borrell's list of appointees shows that the great majority of them are either diplomats of member states, or officials of the European Union's Foreign Action Service.

Although foreign policy continues to be national competence of member states, the European Union has a common foreign and security policy, and a very large diplomatic service around the world. / REL