State Department Denies Frontliner Report about Escobar Dismissal

The US State Department has denied that the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Gabriel Escobar, who’s also the Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, has been dismissed, stating that he will get a new position in the coming weeks, as part of a regular rotation. Answering a question from Serbia-based Tanjug about the report from The Frontliner, a Department spokesperson has said editor Vudi Xhymshiti’s statements are fake.

“All career diplomats abroad are rotated every one to four years, which is regular practice,” the Department points out.

According to the report, the “controversy” surrounding Escobar began with a 22 March report by THE FRONTLINER, authored by Xhymshiti.

“The report detailed allegations of financial connections between Escobar’s family and Serbian governmental bodies, suggesting a compromise of his neutrality in the sensitive Kosovo-Serbia dialogue. This dialogue is crucial for peace in the Balkans,” it was pointed out.