Sorensen finally confirmed emissar for Kosovo- Serbia

Politicians from Denmark were elected by EU high representative for foreign policy and security, Kaya Kallas, to replace Miroslav Lajcak in the post. After receiving consent from ambassadors and top diplomats, Sorensen will launch the mandate in early February.

The current emissary, Lajcak, expires the mandate on January 31st. Before the start of the meeting in Brussels of the top diplomats, where Sorensen was confirmed, Slovenia's Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said that with the election of a diplomat from Denmark, the message is being sent that dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia remains high on the European bloc's agenda.

Who's Sorensen? 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.

For the post of dialogue facilitator, the name of former foreign minister of Finland, Pekka Haavisto, also has knowledge of developments in the Western Balkans. For these roles, the name of former president and former prime minister of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, was also mentioned. Last year, he admitted that he was interested in the post. But during January of this year, he said he would not compete for the post, as he has found that more a diplomatic rather than political level is required.

Otherwise, during Lajcak's nearly five-year term, Kosovo and Serbia have reached agreement on the road to normalising reports. The agreement, which has not been signed, is legally binding for the parties, the bloc has said. The EU has accused Kosovo and Serbia of failing to implement the pact, saying it will affect the journey of the two states towards European integration.

The dialogue on normalisation of reports between Kosovo and Serbia, mediated by the European Union, has started in 2011. Several agreements have been reached during the process, but few have been implemented on the ground. / REL/