"The German nomination was expected and it shows that we are ready to assume responsibility in the Western Balkans," Schwarz-Schilling was quoted as saying.
Schwarz-Schilling, a member of the Christian Democratic Union, said he was glad about his nomination and added that his experience with Bosnia-Herzegovina could be very useful in the new post.
Schwarz-Schilling became an international peace mediator in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1993, gaining the trust of the warring parties through his active involvement and presence in the field. The former Post and Telecommunications minister in the government of Chancellor Helmut Kohl is regarded in Germany as being very knowledgeable about the situation in the Western Balkans.
Other candidates for the post of High Representative are Laura Marichian of Italy, Alexandr Vondra of the Czech Republic and Michiel Patijin of the Netherlands.
A decision on the successor to Paddy Ashdown of Great Britain is to be made by the European Council at the end of November.