Former FM to become presidential adviser

Former FM to become presidential adviser

BELGRADE -- Former Serbian Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkić will become an adviser to the president, and will also work in some government committees, writes a daily.

Mrkić will be a member of some committees for cooperation with foreign countries, "for start with India," according to the Belgrade newspaper Večernje Novosti.

Although there has been speculation that Mrkić could be appointed as ambassador to China, former Mining Minister Milan Bačević is likely to travel to Beijing.

However, the government is yet to reach agreement on this, and several other personnel decisions in diplomacy are to be approved by the new ministerial cabinet.

According to the Belgrade daily, the most serious candidate for the post in Berlin is Dejan Ilić, a Serbian scientist who has been living and working in Germany for several years, while Serbian ambassador to NATO is likely to be career diplomat Miomir Udovički, who previously served as ambassador to China.

President Tomislav Nikolić's adviser Oliver Antić could be sent to Portugal as ambassador, while Professor Darko Tanasković is a candidate for the same position at UNESCO.

According to the daily, the biggest debate within the government will probably be over former Defense Minister Nebojša Rodić, who is a candidate to become Serbia's ambassador to the United States. The article recalls that Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić criticized Rodić because he spoke publicly about his new position before the government made a final decision.