The EU Council of Ministers made a decision late on Thursday to appoint high official of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Fernando Gentilini as the new EU special representative in Kosovo, Tanjug was told at the Council of Europe.

The decision on Gentilini's appointment was made late on Thursday, but will become official once it is published in the Official Gazzete, which means on Monday at the earliest, Tanjug learned from a source who wished to remain anonymous.

Gentilini currently works as senior advisor for the Western Balkans in the EEAS, and is a part of the team working on the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.

Prior to EEAS, Gentilini worked as NATO senior civilian representative in Afghanistan, and in 2004 he served as special envoy of EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana in Kosovo. Gentilini will replace Pieter Feith, whose mandate expired on April 30.

"I am very pleased that (EU member states have), on the basis of my recommendation, appointed Fernando Gentilini as EU Special Representative (EUSR) in Kosovo,"Catherine Ashton said in a statement.

The EU is planning to strengthen its position in Pristina by having a single representative there, rather than separate ones for EU governments and the EU's executive, the European Commission.

A new 'super-envoy' is expected to be picked later this year, but the mandate of the current representative of EU member states expired on April 30.

Gentilini was asked to fill the gap until July 31. He inherits the EUSR role from Dutchman Pieter Feith, who continues in Pristina as the head of the International Civilian Office, the organization backed by the countries which recognize Kosovo's independence.

The Italian diplomat's appointment, expected before Easter, was delayed by member states' bickering over the status of the EU's relations with Kosovo.

Only 22 out of the bloc's 27 members have recognized Pristina's independence, making it difficult for the EU to have a common line on the matter.