EU Council: Sorensen to enable continuation of Dialogue, he will have initial mandate of 13 months

Source: Youtube/EU in BiH

The tasks of the new EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Peter Sorensen, will be to facilitate the continuation of the dialogue process, specifically the implementation of the Agreement on the Path to Normalization and its Annex on Implementation, adopted in February and March 2023, according to an EU Council statement.

The European Union Council, which today appointed the new EU representative for the dialogue, announced that Sorensen will assume his duties on February 1, 2025, with an initial mandate of 13 months.

"The Council today appointed Mr. Peter Sorensen as the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. The tasks of the new EU Special Representative will be to enable a dialogue that will contribute to a comprehensive normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo*, especially the implementation of the Agreement on the Path to Normalization and its Annex on Implementation, adopted in February and March 2023. Mr. Sorensen will assume his duties on February 1, 2025, with an initial mandate of 13 months," the statement reads.

In the EU Council statement, Kosovo is marked with an asterisk (*This designation does not prejudge positions on status and is in line with UNSC Resolution 1244/1999 and the International Court of Justice's Opinion on the declaration of independence of Kosovo, as explained at the end of the statement).

Sorensen is a Danish diplomat with extensive experience, including in the Western Balkans.

From 2011 to 2014, he served as the EU Special Representative/Head of Delegation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and he also held positions as EU Ambassador and Head of Delegation in Skopje and Head of Delegation in Geneva.

Sorensen represented the EU at the United Nations in Geneva, including as the Union's representative in the UN Human Rights Council.

EU Special Representatives promote EU policies and interests in specific regions and countries, as well as issues of particular or significant interest to 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 EU Special Representatives support the work of the Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, the statement mentions.