EU leaders yesterday made several significant appointments and proposals related to the Balkans crisis.
The 15 leaders took advantage of their presence in Rio de Janeiro for the Latin American and Caribbean summit to meet unexpectedly to resolve several issues which their foreign ministers had failed to decide in Luxembourg last week.
For the key position of Civil Administrator of Kosovo who will effectively play the role of interim prime minister in the province, the EU leaders agreed a list of three names for final decision by UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan. They are the former British liberal leader, Mr Paddy Ashdown, the outgoing EU commissioner, Ms Emma Bonino, and the French Health Minister, Mr Bernard Kouchner.
It is understood that the Finnish president, Mr Martti Ahtissari, who co-brokered the Yugoslav peace deal, was the senior contender for this position but would not allow his name to go forward due to pressure of work at home.
The EU leaders agreed to appoint Mr Bodo Hombach as Special Co-Ordinator for the Stability Pact in the Balkans, the body with overall responsibility for reconstruction in the region. Mr Hombach is currently the senior laision minister in the German cabinet.
It was also agreed to propose Austria's Mr Wolfgang Petritsch as High Representative of the UN in Bosnia. Mr Petritsch is currently the EU special representative for Kosovo.