Along with the confirmation of Olaf Scholz as chancellor in Germany and the tripartite ruling coalition, two of his key advisers were appointed on Wednesday to take part in shaping Berlin's future policy. What is important for Northern Macedonia and for the entire region of the Western Balkans is that an outstanding career diplomat holds one of two key positions in Scholz's cabinet - foreign and security policy adviser. It is about Jens Plotner, who until now was the political director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (appointed in 2019), whose portfolio included leading foreign policy issues, the electronic edition of the Macedonian newspaper Nezavisen reported, citing a source close to Scholz, quoted by the media.
Plotner's portfolio so far has included diplomatic relations with the United States, Russia, with a special focus on the Western Balkans, and relations with NATO and the OSCE on security issues.
Plotner has been with the foreign ministry since 1994 and has served as ambassador to Greece, Tunisia and Sri Lanka. He was also a spokesman for the ministry, and from 2014 to 2017 he was the head of the cabinet of Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is now President of Germany.
The other key position in Scholz's cabinet - economic adviser and EU adviser - was given to Jörg Kukis, a former Goldman & Sachs banker and former adviser on financial markets and the EU, while Olaf Scholz was finance minister.
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