U.S. President Joe Biden announced plans to appoint former envoy for the Balkans, James O’Brien as the new Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.

The proposal now awaits confirmation from the U.S. Senate.

O’Brien was part of the American delegation during negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia in Rambouillet, in the year 1999, which concluded with a peace agreement between the parties.

Since 2022, O’Brien serves as Head of the Office of Sanctions Coordination, with the rank of Ambassador, at the U.S. Department of State.

According to the announcement from the White House, O’Brien has previously served two U.S. administrations as a special Presidential envoy. A former career employee of the State Department and recipient of numerous performance awards from 1989 to 2001, he served as Senior Advisor to former U.S. Secretary Madeleine Albright and Presidential envoy for the Balkans.

O’Brien was also involved in finding a solution to end the war in Bosnia and Hercegovina and helped formulate the Dayton Agreement of 1995, which ended the war there.

“He led a large and successful sanctions program and advised on a range of issues, including peace negotiations in Europe, scientific and environmental agreements, Russia and Ukraine’s post-Soviet transitions, and initiatives to investigate and prosecute persons responsible for war crimes,” the White House statement said.

He also led the United States’ support for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, based in The Hague, which helped bring to justice those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

O’Brien is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has studied French and Russian.