OSCE Mission in Kosovo

Ambassador Werner Almhofer

Austrian diplomat Werner Almhofer took office as Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo on 1 October 2008.

Ambassador Almhofer's work has focused on the Balkans since 1992, when he first joined the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Most recently, he served as Austria's Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, appointed in March 2005. Earlier in his diplomatic career, he held various positions at the Austrian Embassy in Belgrade.

During Austria's EU Presidency in 1998, Ambassador Almhofer, as the Deputy Head of Mission at the Austrian Embassy in Belgrade, co-operated closely with the EU Special Envoy for Kosovo, Wolfgang Petritsch. During the Austrian OSCE Chairmanship in 2000 he was involved in preparations for Serbia's readmission into the organization.

Just prior to his posting as Austria's Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Almhofer was head of the Unit for Common Foreign and Security Policy at the Austrian Foreign Ministry. His work in this capacity often focused on the Western Balkans and its European perspective.

Ambassador Almhofer is the fifth Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, which the largest OSCE field operation.