"Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic has been appointed Anders Fogh Rasmussen's assistant for public diplomacy," spokesman Mario Dragun said, adding that he could not say when the Croatian diplomat would take office.

The division for public diplomacy is one of the six divisions in the office of the alliance's Secretary General, and heads of those divisions are Rasmussen's assistants.

According to Dragun this appointment is great recognition of Grabar Kitarovic's work in diplomacy.

This is also an act of recognising Croatia and the work of Croatian diplomats who are seen as staff capable of giving their contribution to international affairs, the spokesman added.

Last year, former Croatian Justice Minister Ivan Simonovic was appointed the United Nations Secretary General's assistant for human rights.