Yuri Kim: Mighty woman named US ambassador to Albania

The U.S. State Department has announced the official decision on the appointment of Yuri Kim from Guam (South Korea) as extraordinary and almighty ambassador to the Republic of Albania.

Its selection was made recently by President Donald Trump, while on Tuesday she held a hearing in the American Senate.

Kim is a career member of the Foreign Service, Council class and has served at the State Department as head of the South European Office of Affairs.

Earlier, she was director of the State Department for Diplomacy Research Centre, Chief of Staff of the State Secretary and Director of the European Security Office and Political-Ustical Affairs.

Kim has also served as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific Affairs and as a member of the United States delegation in six-party talks to end the North Korean nuclear programme.

She also served as political adviser at the US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, and later at the US Embassy in Ankara, Turkey. Kim won a BA. from University of Pennsylvania and an M.Phil. Cambridge University. She speaks Korean, Chinese (mandarin), Japanese, and Turkish.

Yuri Kim follows the post by former Ambassador Donald Lu, who left Albania after completing his mission in May 2018. During this period, the American Embassy in Albania is headed by the vice ambassador, summoned by Leyla Moses Ones.

Kim will be the third ambassador to Tirana, after Mariza Linos and Marcie Ries. It has declared it will support reforms in Albania.

On Tuesday in a hearing before the US Senate, Kim said it encourages Albania to establish SPAK and BKH. We should help Albania build democratic institutions. We will encourage Albania in reforms undertaken” she said, already US ambassador to Albania. /rtsh/