The US Senate has confirmed Jeffrey Hovenier as the new US Ambassador to Kosovo.
President Joe Biden nominated Hovenier for the post in July as former Ambassador’s Philip Kosnett’s successor.
Ambassador Hovenier has worked on matters related to Kosovo since after the 1999 war. He was part of the staff of the UN Special Envoy for Kosovo Status Martti Ahtisaari, who worked to determine whether Kosovo should become independent or remain part of Serbia. Ahtisaari proposed a settlement for Kosovo to become independent but monitored by an international mission. Kosovo later declared independence in 2008.
Ambassador Hovenier’s over 30-year career includes service in US embassies in Turkey, Germany, Croatia, Greece, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, as well as at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). He also held temporary assignments in Serbia and Montenegro.
On the 10th independence anniversary in 2018, Kosovo President Hashim Thaci awarded Hovenier with a medal for his contribution to Kosovo’s freedom and independence.
In his hearing with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Hovenier cited President Biden’s statement that dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia should result in mutual recognition.
