Miroslav Lajčák is the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue
and other Western Balkan regional issues, a position he assumed on 2 April 2020.
Having dedicated his professional life to diplomacy, representing both the Slovak
Republic and the international community, Miroslav Lajčák has more than 30 years of
experience in foreign policy.
In his national capacity, Mr. Lajčák served as Minister of Foreign and European Affairs
of the Slovak Republic for four mandates, a position he first held from 2009 to 2010.
From 2012 to 2016, he served as both Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of
Slovakia. He was reappointed as Foreign Minister in 2016 and 2018 respectively, and
left office in March 2020. He also was twice Slovak Ambassador, first to Japan, and
then to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, FYROM and to Albania.
A key figure in the mediation of the post-conflict crises in the Western Balkans, Mr.
Lajčák served as Executive Assistant to the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for
the Balkans from 1999 to 2001. He also negotiated, organized and supervised the
referendum on the independence of Montenegro in 2006 on behalf of the European
Union.
From 2007 to 2009, Mr. Lajčák served as High Representative of the International
Community and European Union Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
From 2010 to 2012, Mr. Lajčák helped shape the newly formed diplomatic service of the
European Union, the European External Action Service, as its Managing Director for
Europe and Central Asia. Representing the international community, he served as
President of the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly in 2017-2018. He also
served as OSCE Chairperson-in-Office during Slovakia’s 2019 OSCE Chairmanship. Mr
Lajčák received five honorary doctorates from foreign universities and is a frequent
speaker at international conferences and events.