Kauther and Pollman, a married couple with children, will take turns as ambassador every eight months for the next four years, with Pollmann starting the rotation in August.

The unprecedented decision by the German Foreign Ministry has been deemed a family-friendly job sharing experiment and aims to allow diplomatic couples to balance work and family lives.

The pair, working at the ministry since 2005, already shared a post as joint deputy ambassadors to Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Pahor also received the credentials of newly accredited Algerian Ambassador Ali Mokrani, the Sultanate of Oman's Ambassador Yousuf Ahmed Hamed Aljabri and the Dominican Republic's Ambassador Lourdes Gisela Antonia Victoria-Kruse.

Mokrani joined the Algerian Foreign Ministry in 1984 and has been in charge of the EU-Algeria cooperation. His diplomatic posts also include the presidency of the follow-up committee with NATO. He will be covering Slovenia out of Budapest.

Aljabri, who will be based out of Vienna, has served in various capacities in his career, including being chief of the political affairs department at Oman's Foreign Ministry and counsellor regarding West European affairs.

Also based out of Vienna will be Victoria-Kruse, who, prior to becoming the permanent representative and ambassador to Austria, served as minister counsellor at the embassies in Germany, India and Austria.