Pope welcomes new Serbian ambassador

November 09, 2012 - Pope Benedict XVI on Friday welcomed Serbia new ambassador to the Holy See, Mirko Jelic. In a formal ceremony in the Vatican, Jelic presented to the Pope he credential at the start of his diplomatic mission. The 63-year old father of two children, born in the Croatian capital of Zagreb, is a qualified lawyer. He has served in several capacities under the foreign ministries and embassies of former Yugoslavia, then Serbia and Montenegro and in Serbia. In the former Yugoslavia he served in various capacities in the foreign ministry, as well at Jugoslavia’s embassies in Greece, Malaysia and Korea. After the breakup of Jugoslavia, he served at Serbia and Montenegro’s foreign ministry and the embassy to Greece. With Montenegro secession in 2006, Jelic served as Serbian ambassador to Cyprus and since 20011 has been vice minister for European integration at Serbia’s foreign ministry. Besides Serbian, Jelic speaks Greek and English as well.