Trump appoints US ambassador to Germany as special envoy for Serbia-Kosovo talks
Author: Beta
2 minutes
President Donald Trump has appointed US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell as his special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, the Beta news agency reported on Friday, quoting a White House press release.
Grenell will remain Washington's envoy in Berlin while leading American efforts to help Serbia and Kosovo reach a formal agreement which the media in Washington said could result in Belgrade's recognition of Kosovo.
The Washington Times recalled that Grenell was the longest-serving US spokesman at the United Nations, working under four ambassadors from 2001 to 2008.
Kosovo President Hashim Thaci welcomed the appointment in a post on his Twitter account. "I look forward to working with him to secure peace in the Balkans and bring Kosovo into NATO and the European Union family," Thaci tweeted.
Serbia's Minister for European Integration Jadranka Joksimovic told the Serbian state TV (RTS) that Grenell's appointment as special envoy shows that the Trump administration is interested in finding a solution to the Kosovo issue. She added that the format of the talks will not change. "This is a serious man. We will see how things will develop," she said.
