Will new emissary restore confidence in dialogue

The European Council has announced on Monday the appointment of Peter Sorensen, as the European Union's Special Representative for Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue. He has received final consent from the European Union's foreign ministers. Sorensen will take office on 1 February, with an initial mandate of 13 months. He will succeed in this position of emissar Miroslav Lajcak, who ends his mandate on 31 January.

In the EC's announcement, which has also been distributed by the EU Office in Kosovo, his duties reportedly include facilitating the process of dialogue that will contribute to the sweeping normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, and in particular implementation of its Basic and annex, writes Reporter.

The new special representative's “will be tasked to facilitate the dialogue, which will contribute to the comprehensive normalisation of reports between Serbia and Kosovo, and in particular to implementing the Agreement on the road to normalisation, and its application annex, adopted in February and March 2023. Mr. Sorensen will start his work on February 1st, 2025, with an initial mandate of 13 months“, said the announcement.

The outgoing emissary, Miroslav Lajcak, during his term was accused of bias in the dialogue. Prime Minister Kurti had said Lajcak is the “available” against Kosovo.

In not a few cases, Kurti personally but also his subordinates as Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi or even Chief Parliamentary Glauk Konjufca have accused Lajcak as a man who is not natural in dialogue, but who is currently working for Serbia”.

Kosovo's own Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, had sometimes declared that Kosovo expects the new European Commission to start with a new dynamic in terms of dialogue for normalisation of reports between Kosovo and Serbia.

With the new emissar, there is expectations that he will return the confidence of the parties to the process and advance implementation of the agreements.

Sorensen has long diplomatic experience in EU structures. He is currently senior adviser to the EU Foreign Action Service (EEAS) for digital diplomacy.

During his diplomatic career in the EU, Sorensen has exercised several tasks in the Western Balkans. He has served as the EU's special representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina and chief of the EU office in Sarajevo. So has the chief of the European bloc's delegation in Skopje.

Earlier, Sorensen has been working as adviser to both Kosovo and the UN mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), while also being the special representative of the EU high representative in Serbia.

In the Balkans, he has also worked on the Organisation for Security and Co-operation mission in Europe (OSBE) in Croatia.

His experience from the region is said to have also been one of the arguments why Kaya Kallas has decided to be Lajcak's successor.