Serbia Ready to Plug Ambassadorial Holes

Serbia's Foreign Minister, Ivica Dacic, said that Serbia is about to appoint 20 new ambassadors, including to US and China, in the next four months.

The initial plan was to appoint ten new ambassadors to posts in July. However, Dacic told the daily newspaper Danas on August 8 that there had been a delay after the ministry realised the number needed to be doubled.

The credentials for four new ambassadors have already been obtained while the ministry is still seeking approval for other 14 proposals.

Veljko Odalovic, general secretary at the foreign ministry, said Belgrade was working intensively on preparing “quality people for the diplomatic service”, as some of the countries where ambassadorial posts need to be filled are important partners for Serbia.

The empty posts include the US, China, Germany, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Cuba and Portugal.

“In the next couple of months a large portion of the job will be done,” Odalovic told the public broadcaster, RTS, adding that the names of the new ambassadors will be published once they receive approval.

Media reports suggest the new ambassador to the US might be Djerdj Matkovic, a diplomat who currently works as an advisor to the Prime Minister, Aleksandar Vucic.

Nebojsa Rodic, a former defence minister and former chief of the Security Information Agency, may be sent to Azerbaijan.

Former mining minister Milan Bacevic is seen as a likely new ambassador to China, while former Presidentian advisor Oliver Antic might be the representative in Portugal.