Katarina Mathernová, a Slovak diplomat, has been appointed as the Head of the European Union Delegation to Ukraine by the Chief of European Diplomacy, Josep Borrell. She replaced Estonian diplomat Matti Maasikas in Kiev at a time when Ukraine is facing “unprovoked and unjustified military aggression from Russia” while seeking to integrate into the European Union. Her appointment is considered a boost to the EU’s efforts to support Ukraine’s integration and sovereignty.
Rastislav Káčer, the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic in a statement posted on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovakia, praised Ms. Mathernová’s appointment, saying she is “best placed to successfully handle this important mission thanks to her extensive professional experience and personal qualities.”
Ms. Mathernová’s extensive experience includes serving as the Deputy Director-General of the European Commission for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, where she developed the EU’s relations with Eastern Partnership countries, including Ukraine.
Before joining the European Institutions, Ms. Mathernová served as Chief Institutional and Policy Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs in the Slovak government and held senior management and advisory posts at the World Bank.
She also holds a Juris Doctor degree from Comenius University in Bratislava and a Masters of Law degree from the University of Michigan. She speaks six languages and started her career in the private practice of law in the US with distinguished law firms in New York and Washington DC.
Ms. Mathernová’s appointment is expected to provide much-needed diplomatic support to Ukraine in its efforts to integrate with the EU and withstand Russian aggression.
