Just a few days after he was dismissed in the Senate, due to exceeding the deadlines, the name of American diplomat David Kostelancik has been proposed again for the position of US ambassador to Albania.
"David J. Kostelancik, from Illinois, Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Minister-Counselor Class, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Albania," says the announcement made public shortly formerly of the White House.
Who is the next US ambassador to Albania?
David J. Kostelancik, is a career member of the United States Senior Foreign Service who began his service as a foreign policy advisor to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, in August of in 2021. 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 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 Narcotics Bureau. and Law Enforcement Issues.
Kostelancik served two terms at the US Embassy in Moscow, including a stint as Special Assistant to Ambassador Thomas Pickering. Other overseas posts include the US Mission to the OSCE and the US Mission to NATO, both missions focusing on security cooperation with Russia, the US Embassy in Tirana, and the US Embassy in Ankara, Turkey. He also served on the National Security Council, focusing on US relations with Central European countries.
Kostelancik holds a BA from Northwestern University in Mathematics and Political Science, as well as an MA from the University of Michigan in Russian and Eastern European Studies. He also completed a Master of Science from the National War College in national security policy.