
Ljubljana – Former Slovenian president Borut Pahor has announced that he will not be applying for the role of EU special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, despite his willingness to take on the position last year. He cited several reasons for this decision, primarily the disparities between his views on EU enlargement and the official stance of the European Union.
Pahor supports the idea of accepting new EU members as a cohesive package. He expressed concerns that the rapid accession of Montenegro and Albania might actually hinder rather than promote geopolitical stability in the region.
Additionally, he noted that the election of former Slovenian diplomat Marta Kos as European Commissioner for Enlargement did not bolster his prospects, a development he accepted “with full understanding.”
Through numerous informal discussions, Pahor realized that the search was for a diplomat rather than a politician for the envoy position. He also mentioned the brief one-year term associated with the role and indications of budget cuts for the envoy’s office as factors influencing his decision.
The current envoy, Miroslav Lajčak from Slovakia, was initially expected to complete his mandate by August 31 of last year. However, former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, left the decision regarding new special envoys to his successor, Kaja Kallas. Consequently, Lajčak’s mandate has been extended until January 31 of this year. (January 3)













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