The Council of the European Union has appointed German diplomat Dirk Schübel as the new EU Special Representative for Kosovo, according to an announcement published on Monday on the Council’s official website.
Schübel will assume office on September 1, 2026, with an initial two-year mandate, succeeding Estonian diplomat Aivo Orav, who left the position in March this year to take up a new assignment in Türkiye.
According to the EU Council, Schübel is a senior European diplomat with extensive experience in leadership positions within the European External Action Service (EEAS), the European Commission, and Germany’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He currently serves as Head of the Russia Division at the EEAS.
Previously, he served as the EU Special Envoy for the Eastern Partnership from 2022 to 2024. He was also Head of the EU Delegation to Belarus from 2019 to 2022 and to Moldova from 2009 to 2013, where he played a key role in advancing EU engagement in the Eastern Partnership region.
The mandate of the EU Special Representative for Kosovo focuses on promoting a stable, democratic, and multi-ethnic Kosovo, while supporting the country’s European perspective through political engagement and public diplomacy.
Schübel will monitor progress on political, economic, and security priorities, contribute to strengthening the rule of law, protecting human rights and minority communities, and promote EU political coordination in Kosovo.
He will also provide political guidance to the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and support the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, with the aim of strengthening regional stability and good-neighbourly relations.
