“I am honored by the trust of the President of the United States for this nomination as ambassador to Albania. For 34 years, I served in the U.S. military. I worked at the State Department for two years, dealing with issues related to Israeli and Palestinian authority matters. Since retiring from service, I have taught in California as an academic. My family has also served the country, and we are a family devoted to serving the United States.

As a NATO commander, some Albanian troops were under my command. I know that Albanians embody the spirit of Skanderbeg. Albanians are proud, hardworking, and hospitable.

We will explore ways to support Albania in the fight against corruption, organized crime, and drug trafficking linked to Latin cartels, in order to help make both Albania and the United States safer,” Wendt said.