Council of EU appoints Sorensen as new special envoy for Belgrade-Pristina dialogue

BRUSSELS - The Council of the EU appointed Danish diplomat Peter Sorensen as the EU's special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue on Monday.

The tasks of the new special envoy be to facilitate the dialogue that will contribute to a "comprehensive normalisation" of the relations between Belgrade and Pristina, and "in particular the implementation of the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation and its Implementation Annex adopted in February and March 2023," the Council of the EU announced in a statement.

"Mr Sorensen will take up his duties on February 1, 2025, with an initial mandate of 13 months," it said.

"Mr Sorensen is a Danish diplomat with extensive experience, including from the Western Balkans’ region. He served from 2011-2014 as EU Special Representative/Head of Delegation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and has additionally held positions as EU Ambassador and Head of Delegation in Skopje and Head of Delegation in Geneva. In the latter, Mr Sorensen represented the EU to United Nations organisation in Geneva, including as Union’s representative to the UN Human Rights Council," it said.

"EU Special Representatives promote the EU's policies and interests in certain regions and countries as well as issues of particular concern or interest for the EU. They play an active role in efforts to consolidate reforms, stability and the rule of law. The first EU Special Representatives were appointed in 1996. Currently, eleven EUSRs support the work of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas", it also said.

Sorensen was put forward for the post by Kallas.

Outgoing special envoy Miroslav Lajcak's term expires on January 31.