US Ambassador Hovenier presents his credentials to Kosovo President

English

Gazeta Express

10/01/2022 12:34

New US Ambassador Jeff Hovenier presented his credentials to Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani.

Osmani welcomed Ambassador Hovenier and assured him that “the US will not find another ally more committed and loyal than the Republic of Kosovo,” Gazeta Express reports.

“It is my honour to present the new US Ambassador to the Republic of Kosovo, Mr. Jeff Hovenier. In a very important time fore both our countries, it is my pleasure to welcome today in Pristina Ambassador Hovenier, who is very close to the Republic of Kosovo because he served here earlier and understands very well the dynamics of our country,” Osmani stated. She said that Kosovo has changed for better of what Ambassador Hovenier might remember from his service in the past. “But one thing has remained consistent all the time. This is our relations, partnership and friendship with the United States of America,” Osmani said. According to Osmani Kosovo is blessed to have the US as a friend.

The US Embassy has announced 0n 28 December 2021 that Jeffrey Hovenier was sworn in by Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland as the new U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Kosovo.

Jeffrey M. Hovenier, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, where he served as Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. from August 2018 through July 2019.  Prior to that, he was Acting Deputy Chief of Mission and Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, Germany.   He has also served at U.S. missions in Croatia, Greece, Panama, Paraguay, and Peru; at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE); on the staff of the UN Special Envoy for Kosovo Status; and on temporary assignments in Serbia, Montenegro, and the U.S. delegation to the 1999 Kosovo Peace Talks. His Washington assignments include service as Director for Central and Southeastern European Affairs at the National Security Council and in the State Department’s European Bureau with responsibility for NATO and Central European Affairs. Mr. Hovenier has spent much of his career, spanning over 31 years, in the European and Eurasia region with a focus on security issues.  This extensive and substantive experience in the region, coupled with his management experience and demonstrated ability to lead large interagency teams as well as policy-oriented offices, makes him a well-qualified candidate to be the U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo. Hovenier has received numerous Superior Honor and Senior Performance Awards and holds government honors from the Republic of Kosovo.  A native of Washington State, he has a Master’s degree from Georgetown University and a Bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University.  He speaks German, Greek, Croatian, and Spanish. /GazetaExpress/