Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Peter Sorensen expected to be Lajcak's successor

The European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, has decided that Danish diplomat Peter Sorensen will be the special representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.

The post is currently held by Miroslav Lajcak. Radio Free Europe has learned from diplomatic sources in the EU that Sorensen's name has also been sent to the bloc's member states for approval.

His candidacy will be on the agenda at the meeting of the EU's Political and Security Committee (PSC), which brings together representatives of all member states.

Diplomatic sources said that according to past practice, Sorensen's confirmation by member states will only be a formal procedure, as Kallas has already selected him as special envoy for the dialogue.

EU special representatives are appointed by the bloc's chief diplomat, but their appointment must also be confirmed by member states in the Council.

It is expected that Sorensen will be confirmed in the post of emissary for dialogue by the end of this month, so that he can begin his mandate in early February.

The current envoy, Lajčák, is due to leave office on January 31. Sorensen, from Denmark, has extensive diplomatic experience in EU structures. He is currently Senior Advisor for Digital Diplomacy at the EU External Action Service (EEAS).

During his diplomatic career in the EU, Sorensen has held several posts in the Western Balkans. He served as the EU Special Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Head of the EU Office in Sarajevo. He was also Head of the European Union Delegation in Skopje.

Previously, Sorensen also served as an advisor in Kosovo at the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), and as Special Representative of the EU High Representative in Serbia. In the Balkans, he also served at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) mission in Croatia.

His experience from the region is said to have been one of the arguments why Kaja Kallas decided that he would be Lajcak's successor.

Diplomatic sources in the EU told Radio Free Europe that Sorensen is expected to be only a special envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue and will not have other obligations related to the Western Balkans, as his predecessor had.

During Lajcak's nearly five-year mandate, Kosovo and Serbia have reached an agreement on the path towards normalizing relations.

The agreement, which has not been signed, is legally binding on the parties, the bloc said. The EU has accused Kosovo and Serbia of failing to start implementing the pact, saying it would affect the two countries' path towards European integration.

 

The dialogue for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, mediated by the European Union, began in 2011. During the process, several agreements were reached, but few of them have been implemented on the ground./ REL