United States President Donald Trump proposed the appointment of former US general in NATO, Eric Wendt, as the new US ambassador to Albania.
According to a press release published on the official White House website, as part of the nominations and withdrawals sent to the Senate, Wendt was proposed to head the US diplomatic mission in Tirana.
“Eric Wendt, of California, is hereby appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Albania,” the White House statement said.
His appointment is expected to be reviewed by the US Senate, which must give final approval.
Currently, the US does not have a full-time ambassador in Albania.
Nancy VanHorn has served as charge d’affaires since 2024.
Who is Wendt?
Wendt has a long career spanning over three decades in the military and international security structures.
He is a retired United States Army officer with over 34 years of service.
He has served as commander of NATO Special Operations Command, as well as held key positions in the Middle East and the Pacific Region.
During his career, Wendt served as the U.S. Security Coordinator for the Israeli-Palestinian Authority from 2017–2019, as well as Chief of Staff at U.S. Pacific Command.
Wendt graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara and completed graduate studies in the field of national security at the Naval Postgraduate School.