Following the prolonged period in which the United States Embassy in Pristina has been operating under a chargé d’affaires, the European Union Office in Kosovo is also currently without a permanent head.
After the departure of Aivo Orav, who has taken up a new post in Turkey, leadership of the office has been assumed by Eva Palatova in an acting capacity.
Responding to inquiries about the appointment of a new head, a spokesperson from European Union in Brussels stated that an announcement will be made “in due time.”
“We will communicate any new appointment at the appropriate time,” the spokesperson said.
Reports of Orav’s departure first emerged in early March, after the EU’s High Representative assigned him to continue his diplomatic career in Turkey. He had assumed his role as Head of the EU Office in Kosovo on September 2, 2024, succeeding Thomas Szunyog.
Orav, an experienced Estonian diplomat with over 30 years of service at both national and EU levels, had pledged upon taking office to work closely with local and international partners to strengthen diplomatic and political relations. He also emphasized the EU’s role as Kosovo’s largest investor, trading partner, and donor, and reaffirmed support for Kosovo’s path toward European integration.
