The European Union has appointed German diplomat Dirk Schübel as its new special representative for Kosovo, tasking him with driving the bloc’s political action in the territory and supporting dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.
Schübel, currently head of the Russia Division at the European External Action Service (EEAS), would take up the post on September 1 for an initial two-year term. He succeeds Estonian diplomat Aivo Orav.
His mandate centres on promoting a stable, democratic and multi-ethnic Kosovo, supporting its European perspective and coordinating the EU’s political presence on the ground.
The role also covers monitoring the political, economic and security situation in Kosovo and backing the rule of law, human rights and the protection of minorities.
Schübel would provide political guidance to the EU rule of law mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and support the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, which Brussels has sought for years to advance with limited progress.
The Council extended on the same day the mandate of Italian diplomat Luigi Soreca as special representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, prolonging it by two years until August 31, 2028.
It also renewed the mandate of Germany’s Annette Weber as envoy for the Horn of Africa for a further year, until August 31, 2027, citing the complexity of the regional context.
Separately, the European Commission designated its executive vice-president, Raffaele Fitto, as special representative for Cyprus, a role tied to United Nations-led efforts to reunify the divided island.
Fitto would work with María Ángela Holguín, personal envoy of the UN secretary-general, to prepare the ground for a resumption of negotiations on reunification.
The Commission said the Italian politician would engage with all parties to pursue a settlement “in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions” and EU law.
Fitto’s portfolio already covered measures supporting the island’s reunification, including EU aid for the Turkish Cypriot community. His new title places a senior Commission figure directly into the diplomatic effort.
The appointments add to a roster of more than a dozen EU special representatives deployed to conflicts and regions where breakthroughs have long proved elusive.
Cyprus has remained divided since the Turkish invasion of 1974, and the last round of reunification talks collapsed in 2017. Normalisation between Serbia and Kosovo has stalled repeatedly despite years of EU mediation.
