Austrian Diplomat to Replace Tagliavini As OSCE Envoy to Ukraine Talks

OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier said that the organization's new envoy at the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine is a qualified Austrian diplomat, without disclosing his or her name.

MINSK (Sputnik) — Swiss diplomat Heidi Tagliavini will be replaced by her Austrian counterpart as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) representative at the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine, the organization's head said Tuesday.

The Swiss Foreign Ministry announced earlier in June that Tagliavini would step down as the OSCE’s negotiator in the Ukrainian peace talks.

OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier told the Belarusian BelaPAN news agency that the organization's new envoy is a qualified Austrian diplomat, without disclosing his or her name.

The OSCE chief added that the exact date of the diplomat's official appointment is unknown.

According to Austrian media reports, the position of the OSCE Special Representative to the Ukraine Contact Group could be taken up by Austria's current permanent representative to the United Nations, Martin Sajdik.

The latest meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group, comprising representatives of Ukraine, the OSCE and Russia, is taking place in Minsk today.