On 1 August, Andreas von Beckerathhanded over his credentials to President Aleksandar Vučić at the Palace of Serbia in Belgrade, thereby officially assuming the post of the new Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia.
In his role in Belgrade, von Beckerath succeeds Ambassador Emanuele Giaufret.
As the new Head of the European Union Delegation to Serbia stated in his first address, his goal is to help Serbia with reforms in order to make progress towards EU membership.
"It is an honour and a privilege to take on this position. I am deeply committed to Europe and the European Union, but I am also committed to Serbia and look forward to having the opportunity to explore this country. Wonderful nature, wonderful food and wine, tradition, culture, and especially sport. I am a big fan of Serbian basketball. As the Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, I will assist Serbia with reforms to help it make progress in joining the EU. I look forward to working with Serbian and international partners along this path."
During his career, Andreas von Beckerath has held various posts at the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as in his country’s diplomatic missions abroad. He has served as a European correspondent at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Stockholm, political adviser at the Swedish Embassy in Berlin, Deputy Ambassador of Sweden in London, and Ambassador to Kyiv (until 2016).
He later headed the Department for Conflict and Humanitarian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Stockholm, as well as the Department for Eastern Europe and Central Asia in the same ministry, before being appointed Ambassador of Sweden to Warsaw at the end of 2023.
He takes over from Emanuele Giaufret, who assumed the post in August 2021.
In line with the usual EU diplomatic practice, ambassadorial mandates last about three years, after which a regular rotation takes place within the European External Action Service (EEAS).
