The High Representative of the EU, Josep Borrell, in a letter sent to the Twenty-seven Member States indicated Luigi Di Maio as the EU envoy for the Persian Gulf. “As a former Italian foreign minister, Luigi Di Maio has the necessary international political profile for this role.” This is how the High Representative for Foreign Policy motivates, in the letter sent to the ambassadors to the COPS, the decision to «propose to appoint him EU special representative for the Gulf».
«His extensive contacts with the Gulf countries – underlines Borrell – will allow him to engage with the relevant actors at the appropriate level. We must maintain the momentum of our enhanced engagement with the Gulf. I count on Di Maio’s support to update our strategic partnership with Gulf partners”.
Nomination is not expected on Monday
The letter begins the selection phase, following the purely technical one, which has seen the former foreign minister overcome the competing candidates. The ratification of Di Maio’s appointment is not foreseen tomorrow at the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg and, in any case, it will not take place in a very short time. The same sources point out that the decision to appoint the EU envoy in non-EU regions rests exclusively with the EU High Representative.
Ratification is by qualified majority
“The mandates of the EU special representatives are defined by the treaty” in the part for foreign and security policy, “which allows the Council to vote by qualified majority”. A spokesman for the European Commission made it known, outlining the steps necessary for the final ratification of the candidacy of former Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio as envoy to the Gulf. “After the nominations of the candidates by the Member States, and the necessary selection of the strongest competitors, the EU High Representative presents a proposal” which “must be formally adopted” by the Twenty-seven.
Appointed for an initial period of 21 months
The letter reads that the High Representative proposes to appoint Di Maio for “an initial period of 21 months, from 1 June to 28 February 2025”. Borrell recalls that on 28 July 2022, when the Draghi government was still in office, albeit out of office, he proposed “the establishment of an EU special representative for the Gulf” and that he “invited the member states to propose candidates for this new role. According to Borrell, the former foreign minister is currently the right candidate, the proposal – technically a formality – is therefore to entrust him with the task «for an initial period of 21 months, starting from 1 June 2023 until 28 February 2025”.