Hipper: Process of selecting Lajcak's successor underway

BRUSSELS - European Commission Spokesperson Anitta Hipper confirmed on Monday the process of selecting a successor to outgoing EU special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak was underway, but provided no further comments.

"The mandate of the EU special representative (Miroslav) Lajcak remains in effect until the end of January. The selection process of his successor is now underway and we will provide further comments in due time," Hipper said at a Brussels press briefing.

She made the statement when asked if she could confirm that EU foreign policy and security chief Kaja Kallas had picked Danish diplomat Peter Sorensen as the new special envoy and what the next steps in the procedure were.

Earlier, diplomatic sources in Brussels told Tanjug Kallas had put Sorensen forward for the role.

With Lajcak's term expiring on January 31, all nomination procedures should be completed by the end of the month for the new special envoy to take over on February 1.