Profile/ Who is Kostelanick, the diplomat who could be the US ambassador in Tirana, speaks Albanian very well

2022-12-08 19:38:15Fokus SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
David J. Kostelancik

Profile/ Who is Kostelanick, the diplomat who could be the US ambassador in Tirana, speaks Albanian very well

David J. Kostelancik is expected to be the new ambassador of the United States of America in Tirana. Kostelancik replaces the current ambassador Youri Kim in this position.

He is a career diplomat of the Senior Foreign Service of the United States of America, Minister Counselor rank.

He began his service as a foreign policy advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, in August 2021.

Mr. Kostelancik previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission, and for two years, as Chargé d'Affaires, at the U.S. Embassy in Budapest, Hungary, where he provided leadership and policy guidance to the mission's staff of more than 350 people. .

Other assignments at the State Department include as Director of the Office of South Central European Affairs and Director of the Office of Russian Affairs in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, as well as Director of the Bureau of Europe and Asia in the International Bureau of Narcotics and Law Enforcement Issues.

Earlier in his career, he served two stints at the US Embassy in Moscow, including a stint as Special Assistant to Ambassador Thomas Pickering, with responsibilities for outreach throughout Russia and speech writing.

Other overseas assignments include the U.S. Mission to the OSCE and the U.S. Mission to NATO, both missions focusing on security cooperation with Russia, the U.S. Embassy in Tirana, Albania, and the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey.

He also served on the National Security Council, focusing on US relations with Central European countries.

Mr. Kostelancik received a Bachelor's degree from Northwestern University in Mathematics and Political Science, a Master's degree from the University of Michigan in Russian and East European Studies, and a Master of Science degree from the National War College in national security policy.

He speaks Albanian, Russian, Hungarian and Turkish very well. He and his wife are the parents of three grown sons.

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The nominated candidacy must be presented to the Senate from where a hearing takes place and then it is the Senate that approves it.

Until the appointment of a new ambassador, the US embassy will be headed by Deputy Ambassador Demian Smith who started his duties as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Tirana in July 2021.

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