EU delays planned changing of ambassador in Bern

Too much work to do in the Western Balkans: Slovak politician Miroslav Lajčák. Keystone-SDA

Appointed in April as the European Union’s incoming ambassador to Switzerland, Slovak man Miroslav Lajčák will ultimately not take up the post this year.

The reason is that Lajčák’s mandate as Brussels’ Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues has been extended.

As a result, the current ambassador, Greek diplomat Petros Mavromichalis, will stay in his role until August 31, 2025. “I look forward to spending another year in Bern and working with partners and friends in Switzerland and Liechtenstein to deepen relations with these two important countries” for the EU, Mavromichalis wrote on social media X.

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Likewise on X, the European delegation in the Swiss capital announced the change in plans by speaking in general terms of “unforeseen developments”.

After being appointed in April this year, Lajčák, formerly Slovakia’s foreign minister, was to take office in September for a probable timeframe of four years.

The extension of Lajčák’s mission in the Balkans was decided by the Council of the European Union in late July, the institution’s website says. The 61-year-old has held the role since 2020.

Translated from Italian by DeepL/dos

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