TIRANA, April 2, 2023 – Strengthening democratic institutions in Albania is a U.S. priority, says David J. Kostelancik, a career diplomat appointed by President Biden to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to Albania.
He made the comments in his remarks in front of the Committee on Foreign Relations in the U.S. Senate, during his confirmation session.
“If I am confirmed in this position, I will cooperate with Albania to strengthen democratic institutions and justice institutions. President Joe Biden has defined the fight against corruption and organized crime as part of our national strategy. This is a major challenge for the countries of the Western Balkans,” said Mr. Kostelancik.
The progress of the justice reform will help Albania’s progress towards European integration, he added.
One of the sectors of close cooperation between the two countries, said the appointed ambassador, will be the further strengthening of the defense partnership. Iran’s cyber attack on Albania in 2022, he said, showed the need for it to invest in infrastructure and training to build a resilient cyber system. The United States, he said, has sent experts to Albania to repair the damage done and has offered 50 million dollars for this purpose.
A third priority, he emphasized, will be strengthening the business climate. The interests of the United States, said the expected ambassador, are served through a transparent market in Albania.
Mr. Kostelancik has served in Albania before, in 1992-1994, as the first representative for political and economic issues in the then newly opened American embassy in Tirana. Prior to his appointment as ambassador, he served as Foreign Policy Advisor to the U.S. Chief of Staff, General Mark Milley.
Mr. Kostelancik is a diplomat with a 30-year career. He has served twice in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, in the U.S. missions in OSCE and NATO, as well as in Ankara, Turkey.
Mr. Kostelancik, originally from the state of Illinois, graduated from Northwestern University. He speaks Russian, Hungarian, Albanian and Turkish.
If his candidacy is approved by the Senate, Mr. Kostelancik will replace the current American ambassador to Albania, Yuri Kim, whose term is concluding.
