BELGRADE / BRATISLAVA – Foreign Minister of Slovakia and former High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina Miroslav Lajčak might become the new EU Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Serbian media report.
According to Večernje novosti daily, a meeting with the new EU High Representative Josep Borrell dedicated to the issue has already been held in Brussels.
“We understand that discussion about creation of such a post is currently underway in the EU”, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia stated for European Western Balkans.
According to the Ministry, the position of Special Envoy for Western Balkans would be desirable.
“It would send positive signal to the Western Balkan countries about continued engagement of the EU, as well as assist to solve some of the key political issues in the region”, the Ministry’s statement reads.
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Lajčak is a career diplomat, serving as the Foreign Minister of Slovakia since 2012. He was also the President of the United Nations General Assembly from 2017 to 2018 and currently chairs of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
Most notably for the region, he was the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2007 to 2009.
Speculations about the Special Envoy of the European Union began as the United States appointed Matthew Palmer and Richard Grenell as its own Representatives for the region and the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, respectively.