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Three EU ambassadors appointed to Kosovo, Macedonia and Palestine

(BRUSSELS2) Three new ambassadors will take up their duties in Pristina (Kosovo), Skopje (Fyrom/Macedonia) and Jerusalem (West Bank, Gaza and Unrwa). Their appointment has just been announced by the High Representative, through a press release. Three appointments in sensitive areas which go to nationals of countries that entered the last enlargement (Slovenia, Estonia, Malta). Two experienced diplomats... and a foreign minister. It should be noted that the terminologies of the positions are slightly different: EU delegation in Fyrom, EU office in Kosovo, EU representation in Palestine. This being the consequence of the difference in status of these "countries" at the level of the European Union.

Kosovo: Slovenian Samuel Žbogar

A nomination that is not insignificant. Samuel Žbogar is the current Foreign Minister of Slovenia (since November 2008). After the December elections which saw the victory of a new party, "Positive Slovenia", of the mayor of Ljubljana Zoran Janković, he therefore left this political post to arrive in Kosovo, first as head of the EU delegation, then to wear the double hat of special representative of the EU. This last appointment must still be confirmed in the coming weeks by a decision of the EU Council, which will put an end to Gentilini's long interim.

Born in 1962, a graduate of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences of Ljubljana, he was in the corridors of several of the evolutions of Yugoslavia towards the march towards Europe. Integrated into the committee of the Slovenian republic for international cooperation in 1987, he was 3rd secretary in the department of neighboring countries at the (federal) ministry of foreign affairs in Belgrade in 1990. In 1991, he became adviser to the (first) Slovenian ministry of Foreign Affairs (Dimitrij Rupel) and participates as secretary of the Slovenian delegation to the international conference on the former Yugoslavia. Deputy Permanent Representative at the Permanent Representation to the United Nations in New York (1997-2001), alongside Danilo Türk (the current President of the Slovenian Republic), he sat on the Security Council at a crucial time for Kosovo (1998-1999). Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs from 2001 to 2004 (with Rupel who is Minister), he took part in the last negotiations for Slovenia's accession to the European Union (EU) and NATO. It should also be noted that he was Chargé d'Affaires at the Slovenian Embassy in Beijing (1993-1995), Director of the Africa, Asia, Latin America and Pacific Department at the Ministry in Ljubjlana (1995-1997) and Ambassador to the United States. United (2004-2008). Married, father of three children, he is a polyglot speaking English, Italian, French as well as Serbian and Croatian. He loves long-distance running, says his official biography. He will need it in Kosovo!

Read also:

•  Fyrom: Estonian Aivo Orav

An experienced diplomat, currently ambassador for his country in Turkey but also accredited for Azerbaijan, Lebanon, Syria... and Macedonia, he has spent his entire career in the very young Estonian diplomacy.

Born in 1965 in Pärnu, a graduate of the University of Physics and Chemistry (1990) then of the Tallin School of Diplomacy (1992), Orav joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after independence in 1992. He first worked in Vienna at the permanent representation to the OSCE (1995-1998) then at the office of international policies and organizations at the ministry (1998-2000). Appointed Ambassador to Poland (2000-2005), he also covered Bulgaria, Romania and in the last months of his mandate Macedonia. He then returned to the Ministry of Business as Political Director (2005-2008).

• Palestine: Maltese John Gatt-Rutter is already there where he is acting as the EU Delegation's number 2.

Born in 1971, having studied at Prior Park College, he is a specialist in the Middle East, having already worked on this issue either in the European institutions (as an adviser to the Council on the Middle East process) or in the Maltese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Counselor at Malta's permanent representation to the EU in Brussels, he was appointed in December 2010 chairman of the Maghreb-Mashreq working group, before joining the delegation in Palestine.

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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