The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, spoke by telephone on Friday 21 February with the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vučić, and the President and Prime Minister of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi and Albin Kurti, about the decision to appoint a ‘Special Representative for Dialogue and the Western Balkans’ (see EUROPE 12416/22).
According to the EEAS communiqué, Mr Borrell mentioned that “this appointment reflects the importance the EU and him personally attach to the region, its stabilisation and its progress on the EU path”. The High Representative pledged his continued personal commitment and strong determination to support the European perspective of the Western Balkans and to play his role as facilitator of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.
On 16 February, upon arrival at the informal EU-Western Balkans meeting in Brussels, Mr Borrell explained that such an appointment requires “some preparation”, and that the mandate needed to be prepared, hoping that the ‘Foreign Affairs’ Council would be able to do so on 23 March.
The appointment of an EU Special Representative requires the agreement of the Twenty-Seven. The individual under consideration is reportedly the Slovak Foreign Minister, Miroslav Lajčák, whose name has been mentioned several times in recent weeks. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)