A Dutch to succeed Moratinos
European diplomats said yesterday that the European Union nominated candidates to have one of them succeed the Spanish EU ME special envoy Miguel Moratinos whose term of office ends in June.
It is more likely to appoint the Dutch Marsille Korber Shweik who speaks Arabic fluently and headed before the Middle East department and the Dutch foreign ministry, against the Italian Stevan De Mistora who had the post of the UN special envoy to the Middle East.
The diplomats said that the EU nominated two persons for fears that the US will vote against the nomination of one candidate. The diplomats attributed the unprecedented European step to propose two names for each post because of the US objection to appoint the Swedish ambassador at the UN who made open criticism of the American war against Iraq.
