Dirk Schuebel appointed new EU Ambassador to Kosovo – profile of the German diplomat

The European Union has announced that Dirk Schuebel has been chosen to lead the bloc’s diplomatic mission in Kosovo.

According to a statement from the EU Office in Pristina, Schuebel is expected to begin his mandate on September 1, thus continuing the union’s ongoing support for the country’s European path.

European institutions have also released the detailed professional biography of the incoming ambassador.

Dirk Schuebel, a German national, currently holds the position of Head of the Russia Division at the European External Action Service (EEAS). Previously, from September 2022 to July 2024, he served as the European Union’s Special Envoy for the Eastern Partnership.

Before taking on that role, he served for three years as Head of the EU Delegation to Belarus, from September 2019 to 2022. His experience at the EEAS also includes heading the Russia Division from 2018 to 2019, as well as serving as Head of the Eastern Partnership Bilateral Relations Division from 2013 to 2018, where he oversaw EU ties with Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia.

His diplomatic career also includes the post of Ambassador and Head of Delegation to the Republic of Moldova from 2009 to 2013. Earlier, from early 2006 to 2009, he headed the Political, Press and Information Section at the EU Delegation in Kyiv, with responsibility for Ukraine and Belarus.

Schuebel has built his career since 1993, holding a series of positions in both the European Commission and the German Foreign Ministry. Within the EU structures, he has contributed to the Directorates-General for Energy and Transport, Enlargement, and Trade, while in the early stages of the German diplomatic service he focused on international economic relations, foreign trade, and its promotion.

On a personal level, he is married and has a daughter.

With more than thirty years of experience in European diplomacy, Dirk Schuebel has served in key posts in Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, and in the decision-making centers of the EEAS, focusing primarily on the Eastern European, Russian, and Eastern Partnership space. It is precisely this deep regional expertise that is seen as one of the main reasons for his appointment to head the EU representation in Kosovo.