March 28. 2024. 10:53

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EU taps enlargement expert for Ukraine ambassador


The EU’s current deputy director general for the European Commission’s enlargement negotiations, Katarina Mathernová is set to become the bloc’s new ambassador to Kyiv, according to an internal note on appointments by the EU’s diplomatic service (EEAS), seen by EURACTIV.

In her current position, Mathernová has been dealing with taking forward the EU’s neighbourhood and enlargement policies and already has been in close contact with Ukrainian authorities.

The move, according to EU officials, is yet another signal of support for Ukraine’s efforts to join the bloc, while fighting Russia’s war of aggression against the country.

The EU executive is expected to release its assessment of Ukraine’s progress later this year, with an oral presentation of the EU executive’s seven reform recommendations expected in spring and the formal enlargement package in autumn.

Provided that positive progress is noted in those reports, some EU officials and diplomats believe the bloc could start discussions on opening accession talks by the end of this year, as requested by Ukraine.

Ukraine looks to work closer with EU states to speed up accession

Ukraine hopes for a positive assessment of its efforts to implement political reforms later this year and will engage in bilateral talks with EU countries to streamline reforms and track progress, the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna told EURACTIV.

Most recently, the European Commission’s internal so-called Support Group for Ukraine has been turned into a whole new directorate dedicated to the country, focused on reconstruction and accession.

The new directorate would be placed within the EU executive’s DG NEAR, which oversees EU enlargement and the bloc’s relations with its near neighbourhood.

“Mathernová’s appointment could be a key to push European interests in Ukraine while at the same time offering all the technical support and expertise Kyiv needs to make progress on accession,” an EU official told EURACTIV.

The EU’s current ambassador to Kyiv, Estonian diplomat Matti Maasikas has been in office since 2019.

Mathernová’s appointment is part of a regular rotation of the EU’s diplomatic postings across the world.

According to EU standard practice, the bloc’s diplomats rotate out every four years and are appointed by the heads of the Council and Commission, following a proposal by the EU’s chief diplomat.

New appointees normally take office in September of the same year.

Key US appointments

Another key appointment for the bloc is Jovita Neliupšienė, a deputy foreign minister of Lithuania and former ambassador to the EU, who has been selected as the bloc’s new ambassador to the US.

Responsible for EU affairs in her current role and a sanctions expert, Neliupšienė has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine.

The current EU ambassador to Washington, Stavros Lambrinidis, has been nominated to move to New York and become the bloc’s ambassador to the United Nations, according to the internal note.

Relations between the EU and US have been strained in recent months following the Biden administration’s protectionist Inflation Reduction Act but will be increasingly important ahead of next year’s US presidential polls.

Other notable appointments include Nicola Orlando, an Italian diplomat, who will take over as EU ambassador to Libya, at a time when Giorgio Meloni’s government in Rome is seeking to step up cooperation on migration control with the North African state.

Elsewhere, Javier Nino Pérez will take over the strategically important post of ambassador to the African Union, which has emerged in recent years as the EU’s main partner in developing EU-African relations. Perez is currently the EEAS’s director for the Americas.